For Her Smile
by sophomoric genius
Summary: Chap Ten up!Aoshi finally realized his true feelings for Misao, just when she is starting to fall for Soujirou. But what does the eternally smiling boy have to say about all these? AU AMS Please R&R!
1. Chapter One

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For Her Smile

By: sophomoric genius

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Disclaimer: I do not own RK. Any similarities with other fics are purely coincidental unless stated otherwise.

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Author's Note: I've always loved the Aoshi/Misao/Soujirou triangle and although there are already tons of fics with this kind of pairing, I decided to add another one. ^_^ This fic is inspired by all the A/M, S/M and A/M/S fics that I've had the privilege to read. I hope this does not have too many similarities to those fics, and if there is and you don't like it, kindly say so in your review. *_* This is an Alternate Universe, set in our time (meaning NOW). Hope you like it! Enjoy reading and please review!! XD

Chapter One

"Aoshi-sama?" Makamichi Misao cracked open the door and popped her head inside. "I brought your tea." Her lively azure eyes wandered around the large room before locking on the tall, lean figure of a man who was standing beside the window with his back on her.

"You can put it on the table," he told her, his voice flat and dull.

The girl went in and placed the tray on top of the neatly arranged desk. She glanced at the Okashira. She could see him better now--his strong, angular face, his firm mouth that is always set in a serious, disapproving line, his frosty deep blue eyes that is darkened by his long jet black bangs framing his expressionless face. She would do anything just to run her fingers through those thick, dark locks. 

Misao stepped beside Aoshi and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. A light breeze from the open window lightly played with her ebony hair.

"It's such a beautiful day," she remarked, opening her eyes and grinning at Aoshi. "You really shouldn't spend it locked up here in your office, Aoshi-sama."

His vision gave him a glimpse of her as he turned around and went back to his desk. He sat down on the soft leather chair. 

Misao quickly returned to her duty of pouring him his tea, still chattering. "How about taking a leisurely walk? You can see a lot of interesting things even here in the city if you know where to look. Like the hydrangeas in the park. They're now in full bloom. It's really pretty. And then maybe you could stop by our restaurant for a while. I'm sure Jiya and the others would love to see you again. Maybe I could even force them to give you a free--"

"There's a client coming," he cut her cheerful talk short, taking a sip from his cup.

"Oh." Misao's face fell. But only for a second. "Then how about later? We're usually full in the evening but I'm sure we'll find a place for you. There's this really cool band playing tonight." She looked at him, her green-blue eyes filled with longing and hope.

Aoshi closed his eyes and sipped his tea. "I'm busy." Even with out looking at her, he could see the disappointment cloud her usually bright and buoyant face. He did not like a bit.

A knock came abruptly, followed by a head peering in.

"There's a client waiting for you outside, sir," the pregnant secretary told them with a quiet smile.

"Bring her in," Aoshi ordered, nodding curtly.

"Yes, sir." The door closed again.

"I guess I'll be leaving now," Misao started for the door. "I'll just stop by later to clean up."

"You don't have to. Esra can do it," he told her, referring to his secretary. 

Misao gripped the cool metal knob on her hand. "Alright then. I'll get going. The night's coming up and the bar will be full of people. I'll have to help out again." She tried to make her voice sound normal, but the keen man noticed a slight note of hurt in her tone. "See you tomorrow, Aoshi-sama!" She gave him a final grin before walking out the door. 

Aoshi placed down his cup, trying to push aside the heavy feeling of dissatisfaction closing in on him, almost choking him. He took deep breaths to calm his nerves and when the door opened again, he was back to his usual cold, indifferent self.

***

Misao pushed the door sharply, sending the sliver chimes tinkling furiously. Her head hung low, she sighed as she headed straight to the kitchen. Noticing the very conspicuous change in the normally perky waitress, the people inside the diner looked anxiously at one another. When Misao walked out again, she was wearing her frilly blue apron with a notepad on one hand and a pencil on the other.

"Anou…daijobou ka, Misao-chan?" a boy with chestnut-colored hair asked her cautiously. 

"Eh?" the girl looked up with surprise. "Did you say anything, Sou-chan?"

"He was asking you if you're alright," a voice told her from behind. Misao whipped around to the concerned gaze of Kamiya Kaoru.

"I'm fine," Misao replied, trying to sound cheerful.

"What's wrong?" an old man with a blue little ribbon on his goatee placed a palm on Misao's forehead. "Are you sick, my dear Misao?"

The girl sighed irately and swatted the wrinkled hand away. "I'm fine," she repeated. "Really, I am."

"Well then, if you're not sick, would you mind getting back to work!" Okina barked, slapping the back of her head playfully before heading back to the kitchen. 

"Jiya!" Misao rubbed the nape of her head where her long braid started. She shot daggers at her grandfather's back that disappeared behind the swinging doors.

"Is it Aoshi?" Kaoru inquired gently. She studied the younger girl's reaction with a sympathetic expression.

"What are you talking about?" Misao turned her nose up in the air. "Aoshi-sama is perfectly fine. Still as handsome as ever. Even more handsome, actually."

"Misao-chan, you may be an average liar but we're your friends," Omasu told her, carrying a chair to one side of the tavern. "We know you too well."

"What do you mean, 'average liar'?!" she demanded. Then, Misao averted her eyes and sighed. "I'm trying my best to cheer him up but he just won't snap out of it! Why can't he see that there are other people around him who thinks he's special?"

"Maybe you should tell Shinomori-san how you feel," Soujirou suggested. He stepped out of his place behind the counter and helped Omasu and the others in arranging the tables and chairs for the evening.

"What?! No way!" Her heart started beating faster at the mere thought of it. She couldn't dare…could she?

"Why not?" Okon shrugged.

"I--I can't…" She shook her head, her aquamarine eyes were wide with fear. "I just can't. What if…what if he rejects me?"

"What if he doesn't?" Kaoru countered. She placed a comforting hand on Misao's elbow. "You'll never know unless you tell him."

"But…but…"

The chimes sounded again and a group of college students came in, sitting down on one of Misao's tables.

"Do you want me to get them for you?" Soujirou offered, noticing that his friend did not even see the group walk in. He finished adjusting the tables to make way for the dance floor of their comfy restaurant-by-day-rocking-club-by-night workplace.

Misao finally saw their new customers. "No, I'll do it," she replied hastily as another set of diners walked in, signaling the start of their evening rush hour.

***

"Tell him how I feel, huh?" Misao propped her chin on her left hand, her right one tapping a pencil on her office table. 

She was the youngest member of the Oniwabanshuu. At first, she couldn't believe that the stern and hostile Okashira actually accepted her. Although she passed all the tests given to measure her abilities, she had a feeling Shinomori Aoshi thought her rather too young and childish for the spy network. Only later, after a lot of threats and snooping around, did she find out that her very own father had been the Okashira before Aoshi and even her Jiya had been a member once. She was hurt at the thought that Aoshi accepted her only because of her genealogy but did not show it. Instead, she had worked hard ever since making sure that all her assignments are completed satisfactorily. The Oniwabanshuu has kept its title as one of the best Private Investigator Agencies around but lately there seemed to be a shortage of people in need of spies and Misao was stuck with tons of overdue paper work. Which, she has not even touched since she sat behind her desk.

"Well, if he doesn't want me, then I'll just have to get over him pronto, right?" the raven-haired girl thought aloud. The she groaned and brought her face down on the table, resting her forehead on her arms. "Who am I kidding?! I'll never get over Shinomori Aoshi! Oh, if only he knew how much I love him…"

Just then, her door flew open, revealing the said man standing on the doorway. Misao's plaited head shot up, her blue eyes large, a light blush creeping to her cheeks. 

"Aoshi-sama!" she exclaimed. Then silently, 'Did he hear anything?!'

Aoshi walked in and handed her a folder. "I've got work for you. A boy looking for his biological parents. His data and all other information about this case is in that folder." He started to exit the room when Misao suddenly stood up, knocking down her swivel chair in the process, and cried, "Aoshi-sama, wait!"

He stopped and turned around to face her.

She had called out to him in pure impulse. She did not really mean to tell him, but now that he was standing there waiting for her to speak, she knew it was now or never. Misao took a deep breath and walked towards him. Her heart was beating so violently that she thought it might fly straight out of her chest. She could feel her face and ears were burning a bright crimson. Her hands were balled into fists on her sides, her fingers digging into her flesh. With her downcast eyes, she finally decided to open her mouth.

"Aoshi-sama…I…I think you're…really great…I mean…you've been a very wonderful Okashira to all of us…and…and I really enjoy working for you…with you…and I…I…want you to know that whatever happens I'll always be here for you…I don't care about your past…I wish you'd should stop dwelling about it so much…it only fills you with hatred that fuels that invisible wall around your heart…I know it pains you but none of those matter anymore, Aoshi-sama…it hurts me to see you like this…if only…if only you'd let me…maybe I could…" Once her lips parted, heartfelt words just seemed to flow out like a fountain of water. Misao chanced a quick look up to his eyes.

He was staring down at her, his face blank and emotionless. 

She trained her eyes back on the carpeted floor. 

"I guess…what I'm trying to say here…is that…" she took a deep breath and bit her lower lip. "I love you, Aoshi-sama."

***********************************************************************************************************************************TBC

Author's Note: Yaah! She finally said it! How did Aoshi take it? Well, you'll find out in the next chap. ^_^ So, what do you think? Is Misao OOC? Is it boring? Is it confusing? Is it really that bad? Please tell me! Oh, and one more thing…I'm having a sort of dilemma on who Misao should really end up with. I just love Aoshi but I simply can't bear breaking Sou's heart. So, I'll leave it to you guys. Whoever gets the most vote ends up with Misao. What do you think? Review please!!


	2. Chapter Two

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For Her Smile

By: sophomoric genius

****

Disclaimer: I do not own RK, Esra and Gojyo. Any similarities with other fics are purely coincidental unless stated otherwise.

****

Author's Note: I've always loved the Aoshi/Misao/Soujirou triangle and although there are already tons of fics with this kind of pairing, I decided to add another one. ^_^ This fic is inspired by all the A/M, S/M and A/M/S fics that I've had the privilege to read. I hope this does not have too many similarities to those fics, and if there is and you don't like it, kindly say so in your review. *_* This is an Alternate Universe, set in our time (meaning NOW). Hope you like it! Enjoy reading and please review!! XD

Chapter Two

She looked up to him, her aquamarine eyes quickly filling with tears. The mixture of love and hurt, longing and chagrin evinced themselves with Misao's ashen face. Aoshi could feel his frozen lump of a heart contract sharply inside his chest, as if an illusory hand had suddenly reached in and grabbed the crux of his being, squeezing the pitiful life it has left out of him. Although undeniably hurting inside, his stoic, unperturbed exterior remained adamant. His ice blue eyes remained steadily on the girl's face, watching the subtle and not-so-subtle changes play out on her face as she struggled with her emotions.

The air surrounding them grew thick with trepidation and the uncomfortable silence hovered around them like a storm cloud. The cold, harsh reality of Aoshi's frost blue eyes completely void of any emotion washed over Misao and it left her feeling utterly naked and helpless. There she was, pouring out her heart and soul to him, hoping her genuine love and undying support would be enough to pry the kind, gentle man she once knew out of his cold, external shell. But it wasn't. His blank stare practically screamed unrequited love back at her. She could not bear it any longer.

"I--I have to go…" she whispered, her voice deep and husky, trying desperately to restrain the uncontrollable tears already coursing down her cheeks. She sprinted out the door, her arm furiously brushing away the watery substance gushing out of her eyes, a wellspring of grief that overflowed with that mute sword Shinomori Aoshi had struck her. 

"Misao-chan!" a stunned Esra called after her, but the only response she received was a muffled sob and a long plait that disappeared behind the glass doors. The pregnant secretary slowly placed a forkful of cake back on the platter and turned expectantly at the door Misao had emerged from. Worry lined her forehead.

Aoshi walked out of the room and met Esra's concerned, closed eyes. He ignored the soft-spoken woman and returned to his office, finding the reflexive act of breathing in oxygen increasingly austere. 

***

She did not really know when the tears stopped pouring down like some sort of raging waterfalls, but she was grateful. It was making her look like a pathetic crybaby and people were openly staring at her. Not that their thoughts mean anything to her. To Misao, the outside world was nothing but a meaningless blur of colors and faces. Her sprint earlier had slowed down to a jog and then turned into a listless walk. Now that all the adrenaline has completely gone out of her system, she was left with a hollow, empty feeling in the pit of her stomach. 

Well, not exactly. The pain was still there--it would always be there. Plus the annoying embarrassment was slowly eating her inside out. How could she have done it? How could she be so stupid? She should have just remained quiet. She should be thankful she was lucky enough to be that close to him. She knew her Aoshi-sama would never reciprocate her love. To him, she will always be his former Okashira's only child. The little girl whom he felt obligated to protect. The youngest and most inexperienced member of the Oniwanbanshuu. She knew she could be nothing more, but somehow she had fabricated for herself a contorted view of reality and drove herself into thinking Aoshi could actually like her. 

"Idiot," she muttered, kicking a candy wrapper that littered the street. She looked up for the first time since she ran out of their building. 

The sky was of a brilliant blue with wisps of silvery-white clouds floating aimlessly about. It was nearly noontime and the powerful golden sun stood majestically high in the heavens. Its warm heat stroke Misao's dull, lifeless face, the salty remains of her earlier tears making her cheeks feel stiff and caked. She scanned her surroundings briefly, taking in the peaceful, steady hum of the neighborhood. Her wandering feet had taken her unconsciously to Soujirou's apartment. 

She walked slowly towards the two-storey building. It looked rather old and dismal from the outside, with its peeling paint and unkempt lawn, but it was not really that bad inside. Sure, there were rats and cockroaches running around but it also has a water heater, a really tiny kitchen and a bed, which is quite enough for Soujirou and the other twelve or so tenants. Besides, it has a pretty low monthly charge and is just a walk away from _Nirvana_, the name of Okina's bar and restaurant.

Misao had no intention of announcing to anyone, even to the sympathetic Sou-chan, how she made a complete and total fool of herself in front of her beloved Aoshi. But she was feeling really tired and worn-out and even the filthy, jagged steps to the main door of the apartment was looking quite inviting. With a sigh, she sat on the top step, comforting herself with the thought that Soujirou would probably be out, helping with the lunch rush in the restaurant. 

She hugged her legs close to her body and rested her chin on her knees. She had barely closed her eyes, her mind drifting back to the incident that morning for the umpteenth time, when the door opened behind her. She ignored the footsteps moving closer to her. Then her eyes flew open at the sound of a familiar gentle voice.

"Misao-chan?" 

Her head twirled sharply towards the sound of his voice. "Sou-chan! What are you doing here?"

"This is where I live, Misao-chan," he told her mildly, his lids closing in his usual smile.

"I mean, shouldn't you be at Nirvana by now?" Misao silently kicked herself for sounding so guilty.

The boy opened his eyes but his smile remained on his lips. "Megumi-san called me earlier and asked if I could fill in for her tomorrow. She told me she has an exam coming and couldn't make it tomorrow but could take my shift today and I agreed. You look tired, Misao-chan. Why don't you come in for a while?" He held out a smooth, white hand.

"I--I can't, Sou-chan," Misao started to stand, gearing herself for a quick getaway. "I have, uh, work to do."

"Then, at least have some lunch," Soujirou insisted, still holding out his hand. "It's time for your lunch break, anyway. I still have some leftovers from what Kaoru-san gave me this morning. I know it's not much but it beats having an empty stomach, ne?"

Soujirou's chocolate-colored eyes looked so warm and open. It reminded Misao of the first time she met him. It was around lunch time too, in their old school. She had sneaked up to the rooftop to have a quiet, solitary meal. Extroverted though she is, there are days when she wanted to enjoy the peaceful silence of the rooftop alone, with only the huge blue sky and a few occasional birds for company. She would lie on the concrete floor with her hands behind her neck and daydream of her Aoshi-sama. 

When the metal door had opened, she thought it might be another daydreamer, seeking the same refuge she was. She decided to leave it be and continued on to her musings. But the newcomer, or rather, newcomers, were exceptionally loud. With an agitated frown, Misao had stood up from her reverie and stomped to the direction of the noise. Then she stopped dead in her tracks.

In front of her were five well-muscled senior students formed in a circle, the center of which was a pale, thin, obviously new freshman. 

"Hontoni, gomen nasai," she had heard the boy say, a hand held out and his head bowed, an act of begging for forgiveness. 

"We don't need any of your useless sorries," the tallest boy spouted, his lips curved in an evil grin. "What we need is something of actual value…like your money, perhaps." 

A leg suddenly flew out of nowhere and struck their little prey squarely in the stomach. The dark-haired boy doubled up in pain. Misao watched helplessly as fists and legs rained on almost every side of the young boy's body. 

"Do you have any idea how much my shoes cost? Spilling juice on it could make it loose its shine!"

"You better pay for the damage you've done, boy. Now!"

"Nobody messes with us, kid. We'll get that through that thick skull of yours one way or the other!"

Misao's nails were digging right through her palm. She had to do something! But these were five tough-looking guys. She was a fighter in her own right but could she really handle them all at once? Still, she couldn't just stand there, and watch them beat the poor boy up.

"Stop it!" she had screamed. "Leave him alone!"

They all turned to her, identical looks of surprise on their faces. Then the tallest boy, obviously their ringleader, sneered. 

"Why, looks like we've got ourselves an audience afterall," he walked slowly towards Misao. "A really pretty one at that."

"Leave him alone," Misao repeated, her voice sounding a lot braver than she was actually feeling. 

The senior took another step near her. She took on a defensive position, careful not to look too aggressive. "The boy owes us. But we'll let him go if you're willing to pay for him, sweetheart." An evil glint flashed in his eyes.

"No, please…" they heard the boy moan. He brought his head from the ground, blood trickling down both sides of his head. His face was black and blue but that was not the reason Misao and the others gaped at him. Both his eyes were closed and his blood-caked, chaffed lips were curved upwards. He was actually smiling! "You can beat me up some more if you want, but she did not do anything to you…"

At that moment, the door opened again, this time revealing two girls. 

"Misao-chan, Fujitaka-sensei wanted to…" the first girl's voice trailed off when she finally realized what was happening. 

"Oh my g--" the girl with short brown hair grabbed the other girl's hand and started running down the stairs. 

The older boys looked at each other. The one with a slight growth of a mustache turned to her, his eyes narrowed. "They're not gonna rat on us, are they?"

"Never mind," their leader stuffed his hands inside his pockets and started for the door. "We're done here. Let's go."

"But--"

"The boy doesn't have a cent in his pocket. The girl doesn't even have any breasts. We're just wasting our time."

Misao's eye twitched at the insult but bit her tongue as she watched the gang saunter away. She hurried over the bleeding boy.

"Are you alright?" She helped the boy lie on his back. "Wait right here, I'll call the nurse." 

The boy's arm shot up, his fingers going around her small wrist. Her azure eyes were met by smiling deep brown ones, so warm and friendly, not a single evidence of pain within its depths. "Hontoni, aritagatou gozaimasu."

"Misao-chan?" 

Soujirou's voice snapped her back to the present. She looked up to those very same orbs, now holding a slight look of concern. Misao's face softened and she reached out for his hand, holding it lightly against hers.

"Leftovers sound perfect, Sou-chan," she told him with a grin. "Just as long as it's not Kaoru's cooking." Misao suddenly turned serious. "It isn't Kaoru's cooking, is it? Tell me it isn't."

The boy grinned back, laughing lightly. "Iie. I think it's Megumi-san's." 

"Well, it better be," Misao declared, stepping inside the apartment, Soujirou's hand still in hers. "I still want to live, you know."

***

"A--anou…" Esra's soft voice made the tall, dark-haired man stop. "Do you have an appointment, sir?"

Saitou Hajime turned slightly around, his yellow eyes going directly to the bloated belly of the Oniwabanshuu receptionist and Shinomori Aoshi's secretary. "Not really."

"Ee," Esra stood up and motioned at the black leather couch. "Then please wait for a minute--"

"I don't have a minute," he continued walking towards the door of Aoshi's office. "I'm a very busy man. Besides, I have news I'm sure Aoshi couldn't wait to hear."

The closed-eyed woman opened her mouth still trying to stop him but was met by the soft click of the closing door. She gave a defeated sigh and walked instead to the small refrigerator and started rummaging around for something to eat.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shinomori Aoshi saw the police officer slide in and gently close the door behind him. He turned his attention back at the scenery outside his window. "What do you want?" His voice was steely. "In case you haven't heard, we've stopped working for the government."

"If that's the way you talk to your customers, it's no wonder you've been having less and less lately," Saitou smirked, leaning his back on the wall. "Actually, I have some news for you. I heard Himura Kenshin's back in town."

Aoshi's normally smooth forehead furrowed. "Why are you telling me this?"

The man took out a pack of cigarettes and popped one on his mouth and shrugged. "A wealthy politician was assassinated just last week. I'm sure you've heard of it. There's been a lot of death threats going around lately."

"It's not his style."

"You're right, it isn't. We don't think it's him, but rather someone wanting to frame him up."

Aoshi's deep blue eyes shot sharply at the policeman's figure. "I'm a suspect, is that it?"

He blew out a perfect smoke ring. "Well, you do have a grudge against him, but we're not planning on arresting anyone without proof so don't you worry." Saitou started for the door. "That's it, actually. Like I told your secretary outside, I'm a very busy man and I like keeping my meetings short." He reached for the round handle then stopped. "If you're planning to visit your friend Himura, I suggest you don't. My men told me he's living a simple life now and news of a certain former assassin attacking a harmless man wouldn't do a damn thing to improve your Oniwabanshuu Private Investigations Agency." And with that, he walked out the door. 

***

"I can't believe what an idiot I am!" Misao cried, her mouth still full of rice. 

She had told Soujirou the whole story while glomping down the rest of the boy's food. He watched her wash the last of his leftovers down her throat with water, a sensitive smile on his lips. Misao finally placed the glass down the table and sighed. She had occupied herself with eating while narrating the earlier events to prevent her from breaking down and crying like a baby in front of him. But now that the food was all gone, she could feel her eyes starting to water again. 

"I'm nothing to him," she mumbled despondently. Her hand tightened to a fist. 

"Maybe you should give him some time," Soujirou told her gently, reaching out and placing a warm hand on top of her clenched fist. He felt it soften under his touch. She looked at him, distress filling her huge blue-green eyes. 

"Oh, Sou-chan, how on earth am I going to work? I can't face him, not after what happened," she stood up and started pacing. "But I have to work. He gave me a new assignment this morning. I can't just leave it hanging in the air. Besides, Aoshi-sama's got a lot to do himself and Gojyo's not exactly helping out either. I'm the only one he's counting on." Misao headed to his small fridge. 

Soujirou closed his eyes and smiled his typical smile. "I think you should still continue to work, Misao-chan."

"But I can't see him, it's just too embarrassing. And uncomfortable. What am I gonna say to him?" She popped her head in the almost-empty ref. "Do you have anymore food, Sou-chan?"

Soujirou's smile turned sheepish. "Ee, I think you've eaten up all I have, Misao-chan." 

A knock came on the door. Curious, Soujirou stood up and walked to see who it was. "About Shinomori-san, I think you should try to act the same around him. I know it's hard but you DID tell him that you'll be there for him no matter what, right?"

Misao shut the fridge door, her face thoughtful. "I know…but…" She trotted behind him as Soujirou opened the door, revealing a man with flaming red hair and an ominous cross scar on his cheek carrying a tray full of cookies and cakes. 

"What can I do for you?" Soujirou inquired smiling politely.

***********************************************************************************************************************************TBC

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Author's Note: Sorry if this took a bit long. I've been trying to upload this for days and the Document Manager kept on saying that 'Document Upload Was Successful' but whenever I click the 'Click Here To Continue' link, I'd go back to the DM, stating that I haven't uploaded any documents! It was so frustrating! But I'll keep on trying and if you're reading this now then it means I was successful. ^_^ 

There are a few typographical errors on the last chapter, which I noticed only after I had uploaded it. I was too lazy to fix it so forgive me, ne? ^_^ How did you like this chap? Esra, the pregnant secretary/receptionist is not an OC. She is, in fact, the very same Esra from the anime Vandread. Gojyo was also mentioned in this chap, and he's no OC either, but rather from Gensomaden Saiyuki. Both characters and animes are not mine, I'm just borrowing them to fill in some characters because I'm too lazy (again) to make up my own. And, of course, to make it more colorful. ^_^ I hope you don't mind. If you do, then just tell me and I'll try to do something about it. In any case, please review and tell me what you think! Is it ridiculously OOC? Review please!!!

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Sapphire-Dream: Thanks. I can not promise you an in-depth review because your fics are based on animes/mangas that I haven't watched/read. So, I'll just try to comment on your story itself and please don't hate me if it's a bit…er…flimsy. -.-;; Anyway, thanks for YOUR review and I hope you'll keep on reading!

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bee: You're an A/M fan, I gather? ^_^ Your vote is counted, but like Cat H said, maybe it's still a bit too early to know… ^_^ Just read on, okay? :)

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Cat H: Hm… I guess you're right. I'd be taking that as another A/M vote, since you apparently plan to have Sou for yourself, ne? ^_^ I don't blame you, that boy's simply irresistible! Anyhoo, I hope you liked this chap!

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sailorcardcaptor: Thanks! But you didn't tell me your vote…are you an A/M or S/M? Hope you like this chap too!

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Ranny: So you're a S/M fan. =) I've got to say, I'm rather fond of this pairing too. Soujirou is just…*sigh* That's a first S/M vote and let's both cross our fingers for a few more, ne? ^_^

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ceres17: Thank goodness you did not find her OOC. I was really thinking I made her too serious and less perky. Well, thanks for reviewing and hope your still reading this!

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Archangel Dream: Am continuing! And yeah, I really love these triangles too! ^_^ Thanks! Oh, BTW, A/M or S/M? You didn't tell me. :)

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chris: Thanks! Here's the next chap! Hope you liked it! ^_^ You also didn't tell me your vote. A/M or S/M? 

Well, I'm always open to suggestions! What do *you* think? Should it be an A/M or S/M in the end? I know I've been saying (or rather, typing) it over and over again that it's probably irritating you, but please! I really want to know! Tell me your thoughts!! Review!! ^_^ 


	3. Chapter Three

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For Her Smile

By: sophomoric genius

****

Disclaimer: I do not own RK, Esra and Gojyo. All of them are copyright their respective creators. Any similarities with other fics are purely coincidental unless stated otherwise.

****

Author's Note: I've always loved the Aoshi/Misao/Soujirou triangle and although there are already tons of fics with this kind of pairing, I decided to add another one. ^_^ This fic is inspired by all the A/M, S/M and A/M/S fics that I've had the privilege to read. I hope this does not have too many similarities to those fics, and if there is and you don't like it, kindly say so in your review. *_* This is an Alternate Universe, set in our time (meaning NOW). Hope you like it! Enjoy reading and please review!! XD

Chapter Three

Facing them was a man with flaming red hair and an ominous cross scar on his cheek, carrying a tray full of cookies and cakes.

"What can I do for you?" Soujirou inquired smiling politely.

The man smiled in return and bowed, saying, "I'm here to offer you free samples of my pastries. Would you be so kind and taste them? You don't have to buy if you really don't want to…"

"Free?" Misao sprung from behind Soujirou and brought her face close to the tray. "Mm…smells absolutely delicious!" She grabbed a chocolate chip cookie and bit into its soft, moist crust. She chewed slowly, savoring the just-right sweetness of the pastry. Her eyes shone with bliss. "Tastes great too! Here, Sou-chan!" she grabbed another biscuit and shoved it in front of the boy. "Try it! It's really good!" Then she eyed the modest cake slices. Picking up the one covered in chocolate icing, she cut it in half and stuffed the larger portion inside her mouth. "Wow…this is just…." She turned to the bewildered redhead. "I'm buying all of it!" she announced, her teeth still covered with the dark icing. 

"Oroo?" the salesman almost dropped his tray with his sudden change of luck. "All of it?"

"Ne, Misao-chan," Soujirou tried to reason with the girl happily gobbling up the rest of the free samples. "Isn't it a bit too much for you? You might get sick with all these sweets."

"Well I'm not eating ALL of it by myself, Sou-chan," Misao told him defensively. She took the almost-empty tray from the vendor's hands and brought it inside the room, still nibbling. "I'll share some with you since I ate up all your food."

The boy just smiled in surrender. Misao was having a difficult time right now. Her pigging out is better than her not eating at all, right? He'll just have to find a way to control her a bit. The smiling boy turned to the still-gaping salesman and chuckled. "Why don't you come in for while, sir?" 

The two went in, the stranger looking casually around the small and practically bare apartment room. 

"Would you like some tea?" the boy offered once they were seated. He handed him a small cup.

The redhead gratefully accepted, marveling at the hospitality of the two to a complete stranger. He took a sip from his tea before setting it down and unzipping the suitcase he carried with him. It was filled with packed plastic bags of the cookies and cakes Misao had devoured earlier. 

"I haven't sold much yet, and I still have quite a lot. I would understand if you wouldn't buy all of it anymore, since there's still so many…" 

Misao looked at him skeptically. "Are you really a salesman? You're not a very good one, you know. You should be encouraging people to buy your products not the other way around." 

The man scratched the back of his head with a smile. "Well, I'm new…"

"Don't worry, I'm still buying it. All of it," Misao declared, her hand reaching for her wallet. "I could bring some to Kaoru and the others. Maybe they'd be so preoccupied in eating that they'd momentarily forget about me and…"

Soujirou was about to tell her that it would only make them more suspicious when the girl suddenly froze. Slowly, she turned her head facing the scarred man. Soujirou recognized this action as Misao having another one of her 'great ideas.' 

She started closing in on the unsuspecting man. "You were the one who baked these, right?"

Noticing the sudden change in the atmosphere, the pastry vendor started inching away, nodding nervously. "Ha--Hai…"

"Do you know how to cook?"

Another nod.

A mischievous grin filled the girl's face. Bounding swiftly like a cobra in its kill, Misao quickly seized the stranger's arms in a death grip. "Sou-chan, I do believe we've got ourselves a rather large catch here!" she told the boy with a triumphant grin.

"Oroo?!" 

The chestnut-haired boy just gave him a sympathetic smile as Misao dashed out of the door, dragging the innocent man along with her like a Raggedy Ann doll. He shook his head lightly as he quietly followed the two out, carefully locking the door behind him.

***

"Minna! Look what I found!" Misao beamed when she burst through the back kitchen door of Nirvana. She held up her right hand, showing off a swirly-eyed, semi-unconscious man with shocking red hair. 

"Two orders of beef pot!" 

"Make that six!"

"Make that seven, with two number fours and a number six!"

Misao's eyes almost popped out of its sockets as she gawked at the disaster scene in front of her. Nirvana has always been chaotic during lunch hours but their kitchen never looked this serious. Two huge pots were overflowing with a boiling-hot, gooey brown substance. Black smoke could be seen emerging from the oven. One pan was almost pitch black with the fire almost reaching the ceiling, while on the other pan, Kaoru was busily stirring vegetables that was not even cooking because the stove was apparently turned off. 

Shiro took the small forms the waitresses gave him through the counter. "That was four beef pots, a number seven and two number sixes!" He squinted more carefully at the papers. "Er, no. Scratch that! It's two…er…seven…"

Kuro, who was chopping very uneven slices of the vegetables finally saw the burning pan and immediately ran over, turned off the stove and, forgetting he was not wearing any kitchen mittens, grabbed the pan with his bare hands. 

"ITAAAAIIIIII!!!"

The scorched skillet soared in the air, sending the sooty remnants of what used to be beef steaks flying all over the kitchen. As the law of gravity applies itself even to poor, scalded pans, the blackened thing went hurling back down, in the exact location of a certain dark-haired raccoon-girl, still unaware that she was cooking with no fire.

"Look out!" Misao cried. 

Kaoru finally turned around, but it was too late. The skillet was right in front of her nose. She shut her eyes tightly, waiting for the blistering impact that was sure to happen. She could feel the heat emerging from the pan but it did not made any contact with her skin. Realizing Kami-sama was watching afterall and that she had been saved, she opened her eyes and inched away from her place, heaving out a huge sigh of relief. She looked up to thank her savior only to see a complete stranger balancing the pan with a wooden chopping board on one hand and a humongous raddish on the other. Carefully, he went straight to the water-filled sink and dropped it in, causing thick grayish steam to fill the kitchen. 

"Good job, salesman-san!" Soujirou congratulated him with a smile. Amidst all the commotion, the dark-haired boy managed to turn off the oven, throw away the burning roasted chicken and replace it with a brand new one, and then lower setting of the stove, thereby controlling the boiling pots of curry. He now started for Kaoru's pan, picked out all the vegetables, turned on the stove and started cooking anew. 

"Megumi-san!" Shiro called from behind the counter. Kuro's bright red palms were planted inside the freezer, in between the raw meats. "We need your help!" 

"Soujirou-chan, Misao-chan! Thank goodness you're here!" Kaoru exclaimed. She looked at the redhead. "And you too, whoever you are. Thanks for saving me."

The mystery man smiled and said, "I'm glad you're alright."

Misao planted her hands on her hips. "What is going on here?! Why is everybody in panic? Where's Belldandy? And Jiya?"

"Belldandy had an emergency with her sisters and couldn't come," Megumi answered her questions. The med student went directly to the weeping Kuro and studied his hands. "Okina was fixing the chimes when he saw some pretty woman and missed a step in the ladder and fell. He broke his pelvis and I brought him to the hospital. Hm, this is bad…" she mumbled, referring to Kuro's burns. She stood up and went to the medicine cabinet, getting some cleansing solution and a couple of rolls of clean, dry bandages. 

"You mean we don't have any cook?!" Misao cried out in panic. Then, she suddenly remembered why she was there in the first place. "Then, it's perfect!"

"Anou ne, Misao-chan," Kaoru glared at her. "Are you out of your mind?! Can't you see we're in the middle of a crisis here? This is far from perfect!"

"No, I mean," Misao reached for the silent rurouni and shoved him in front of the manager. "We have our new cook! Or, at least a replacement until Belldandy finally shows up."

Kaoru blinked incredulously as her deep brown eyes scrutinized the young man that saved her life. "With all due respect, you don't look like a cook to me."

Misao suddenly stuffed the older girl's mouth with one of his cookies. "Yes, he is. And he's a good one too, Kaoru-san. At least, he's a lot better than you!"

"Misao-chan!" the girl protested, spewing bits of the cookie as she tried to speak. Then she stopped as the luscious, sweet taste of the pastry filled her tastebuds. "Hey, this is good!" She turned to the redhead. "If you could really cook as well as you could bake, then you're hired!" Misao's last sentence finally dawned on her. "And what do you mean he's a lot better than me?!"

"Oroo??" the man's violet eyes widened. "But you don't even know who I am!"

Kaoru nodded. "Fine. That can be fixed. What's your name?"

"Eh?"

The young manageress of Nirvana was loosing the little patience she has left. "Your name! You have one, don't you?"

"Himura Kenshin. But that wasn't what I me--"

"Great. My name's Kamiya Kaoru and I'm the manager here. Now that we know each other, would you mind getting to work!"

"But I wasn't applying for a cook!"

"Yes, you are!" Misao told him firmly, handing him a kitchen knife. "Now, start working!"

"Baking and cooking are two very different forms of art," Megumi told them matter-of-factly, finishing Kuro's dressing. "Just because he's a good baker doesn't mean he can cook."

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, we don't exactly have time to be picky right now!" Kaoru shot back. She turned back to their dazed new cook. "Well, what the hell are you waiting for? Start cooking!" She looked at Kuro who was still moaning in pain. "Kuro-san, since you can't chop anymore, why not read to us the orders, okay? Shiro-san, you help Himura-san with anything he needs. Misao-chan, Megumi-san, get back out there and try to keep our customers entertained. Soujirou-san, you're doing a great job."

Sighing resolutely, Kenshin took out some carrots and started chopping them in lightning-fast speed. 

***

"My, it's so unusually quiet around here all of a sudden," the ruby-eyed man remarked to Esra as he sat on the black leather couch of their headquarters. "Where's Misao?"

"She ran out of her office this morning," Esra told him. "I'm not sure but I think she was crying."

"Crying as in whining or crying as in real tears? If she's whining then that's nothing out of the ordinary."

"Gojyo-san!" the woman looked at him reproachfully. "I think she was really crying."

"Real tears, huh?" the red-eyed and haired young man stood up and sauntered over to Aoshi's room. He opened the door and walked inside. "Yo, Okashira-sama! Now, what did you do to our pretty little tomboy?"

Aoshi took his eyes off the computer monitor long enough to glare at his impertinent subordinate. "Your desk is swamped with your new assignments. I want all of those in by next week."

"Oi, oi, I'm asking you a question here, don't switch topics. I'll have them in by the end of the week if that's what you want. Now, answer my question. Did you or did you not hurt Misao?"

"I don't have to answer any of your questions," the dark-haired man replied in an icier than usual tone. "Now get out of my office."

Gojyo clicked his tongue and shook his head. "So you DID hurt the poor little weasel-girl. You are such heartless beauty, you know that, Aoshi? I told her so many times to just ditch you and go out with me but she wouldn't listen. And this is how you repay her? All she did was love you. Why is it so hard to love her back? I mean she IS kind of pretty. Maybe a little underdeveloped and she acts more like a boy than a woman sometimes but--"

"Leave. Now." Aoshi's intense blue eyes pierced through his blood red ones. "Or I could do it for you, gladly."

"Hai, hai," Gojyo stood up, his hands held up. "I know when my life's being threatened." He cocked his head back once he neared the door. He threw a folder towards Aoshi's table and smirked. "She left her assignment. I was planning on stopping by Nirvana for a few drinks and thought I'd hand her that." He opened the door and walked out. "But now I think you should be the one to do that. I mean, you ARE the okashira, ne?" He slammed the door shut.

Aoshi glared at the door, cursing himself for not firing that drunkard and womanizing member of the Oniwabanshuu. He had wanted to ever since Gojyo ever so confidently handed him his client list. But Aoshi was desperate then. He has just lost four of his most skilled and loyal subordinates, the ones he could almost consider as friends. Back then, the thought of his sweet revenge was the only thing that woke him up every morning. Revenge on the one person that cost his men their lives. The one called Battousai. But for that plan to be actually put to action, he would need money. And several connections. That's when Gojyo stepped in, offering him once again the business of spying. He was a rather popular sleuth with an impressive list of clients. He offered Aoshi something unexpectedly perfect. Being a member of the Oniwabanshuu, Gojyo was willing give Aoshi the upper hand in the Private Investigations scene if the Okashira would permit him to work only whenever he wanted to. 

"Now that I've got money, girls are swarming over me like bees to a honeycomb," Gojyo had told him off-handedly. "I want to enjoy the blessings while they're here."

Needless to say, Aoshi accepted. He had been tracking down Battousai Himura ever since. 

And now he was here. 

Aoshi's eyes wandered over to the folder Gojyo threw at him. Misao's bluish-green eyes flashed in his mind. She had told him she loved him. And all he could do in reply was stare.

"All she did was love you. Why is it so hard to love her back?"

Gojyo's words echoed in his brain. He pushed it away, far into the deepest corner of his mind, the way he often did whenever something reminded him of Misao's cheerful face. He turned his attention back to his computer. He can not be disturbed by any other thoughts right now. Not now, when Battousai is just a walk away. 

He was scrolling down a page when his stomach did a little churn. It was right about this time when Misao would bounce inside his room, bringing his afternoon tea, and talking gaily about anything and everything under the sun. It used to irritate him at first, but he eventually got used to it. For more or less ten minutes, his gray, dull room would burst into life, Misao's lively and carefree spirit filling every corner with positive energy. It was as if her presence alone was enough to lift the thick thunderclouds that surrounded Aoshi wherever he went, exposing him to the firm yet gentle warmth of the sun. 

It was so refreshing. But Aoshi never realized that until now.

A soft, hesitant knock came from the door. The moment it reached his ears, his stomach gave another, more violent lurch. His heart started beating faster. He told himself Misao would never knock, she just goes ahead and enters the room. But that did not even slow down his pulse. His eyes were fixed on the door, now opening slowly. 

"Anou, Okashira," Esra's soft voice greeted him. "I brought your tea."

Aoshi's heart sank down to his leather shoes. He exhaled, realizing he had been holding his breath. "You shouldn't have, Esra," he told her, standing up. He walked over to the coat rack and shrugged in his white leather trench coat. "I was just about to go out."

"Oh. May I know what time are you coming back, sir?"

The tall man walked back to his desk and plucked up a folder. "I don't know. If I'm not back by closing time, you could lock everything up yourself." He walked past her and out of the glass doors.

Esra placed the tray back down and stared at the okishira's retreating figure. Gojyo stepped next to her, grinning smugly. 

"Oh, what are you to do with out me, Okashira-sama?" he sniggered. "Let's just hope she hasn't replaced you yet. And that you won't ruin your chances all over again with that damn frigidity of yours."

***********************************************************************************************************************************TBC

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Author's Note: Another late update, ne? Gomen! ^_^ I think I would be updating regularly every weekends, so please try visiting this fic during those days, okay? Er, that is IF I have the chapter finished by then. It is one week but I don't have the time I used to have before so please bear with me! ^^ I'll try my best, I promise! So, on with the fic. Kenshin's now officially part of the cast. Spoiler: I'm planning to make an interesting…interaction between Kenshin and Aoshi, as you might have guessed. There would also be lots of other side-pairings but of course, the main focus is still on A/M/S. I have several ideas for this fic, although I'm not entirely certain they've never been used before. Maa, I'll try my best to add a different twist to this, though. :) Hope you liked it and please review!

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regina-terrae: Am updating! Hope you liked it! A/M or S/M? ^_^

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zhakeena: Thanks! I'm glad it kept you entertained. That is one of the reasons I'm writing this the first place. ^_^ Hope you like this one too!

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BayDen: Yay! Another S/M vote! ^_^ Thanks so much for reviewing it too! And here's the update!

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Cat H: Once again, you're right. Now that I'm a few chaps in this fic, I'm starting to lean towards the S/M pairing. I love A/M but I think there are very few S/M fics out there. Maybe I WILL try the alternate pairing…then again maybe not. *cackles evilly* I've decided to lay heavy burden of choosing Misao's partner to you guys in the first chap so I think I'll stick with that. I'm planning a lot of twists and turns for this fic but in the end, the pairing with the highest number of votes will be the one who'll end up together. I'm not sure which of the two will win myself so just visit the review page from time to time to see the stats, ne? ^_^ And, erm, I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do but I'm counting that as another S/M vote. =)

And so the question remains: A/M or S/M? Review please! 


	4. Chapter Four

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For Her Smile

By: sophomoric genius

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Disclaimer: I do not own RK, Belldandy, Priss Asagiri and her band, Sekiria. All of them are copyright their respective creators. Any similarities with other fics are purely coincidental unless stated otherwise.

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Author's Note: I've always loved the Aoshi/Misao/Soujirou triangle and although there are already tons of fics with this kind of pairing, I decided to add another one. ^_^ This fic is inspired by all the A/M, S/M and A/M/S fics that I've had the privilege to read. I hope this does not have too many similarities to those fics, and if there is and you don't like it, kindly say so in your review. *_* This is an Alternate Universe, set in our time (meaning NOW). Hope you like it! Enjoy reading and please review!! XD

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A/N P.S.: In this AU, Kamatari is a completely genuine GIRL. o.O; Read on and find out. :)

Chapter Four

"How did you get Sekiria to play tonight?" a tall, beautiful girl asked Soujirou on the bar. "I thought that band only plays exclusively for Hot Legs."

The boy smiled and handed the girl her drinks. "Okina-san was the one who arranged it. I'm not sure how he did that either."

"That Priss Asagiri sure rocks!" declared another girl. She was wearing a black, leather strapless top with matching leather pants with a red jacket hooked on her forefinger, dangling from her shoulder. It was the exact same outfit the lead singer of Sekiria uses in her performance.

"I know!" another girl gushed in. "Her voice…it's soo cool…"

Soujirou moved away from the group of college girls and went to get himself a glass of water. He noticed Misao sitting on the other side of the bar, her face cradled in her hand, a faraway look in her eyes. 

"Nirvana's been pretty busy today, ne?" Soujirou commented in a cheerful voice. 

Misao blinked at him blankly before giving a weak smile. 

"First the lunch crisis, now this," he continued, nodding his head towards the jam-packed club. 

Nirvana always had a full house during the evenings but they never had that many people inside in just one night. It was literally brimming. Most of their tables were stocked back in the kitchen to give them more room for people. Majority was left standing since they did not have that many chairs but these clubbers did not seem to mind. It was like a concert. They had lighters and UV lamps and some even had posters with them. And it was still thirty minutes before the band is scheduled to play.

"Do you guys have any idea who this Sekiria group is?" Kaoru asked as she placed a small round tray on top of the counter. "Two martinis and a manhattan please, Soujirou-chan." The older girl turned to Misao. "Almost all of them's in here only because of this Priss-guy. Who is he anyway?"

"Obviously, you still don't know anything about the cool and the famous. How could you, you don't even have a life," Megumi said smugly handing Soujirou her tray. "An oxygen cocktail and another martini." 

"Like YOU do," Kaoru shot back. "If you're not working here, your nose is permanently stuck on those medical books of yours. What would YOU know about 'the cool and the famous'?"

Megumi threw her long mane of thick ebony hair back. "I, for one, know for a fact that Priss Asagiri, the lead vocalist of Sekiria is a GIRL and not a guy." She retrieved her tray and started walking away, her nose stuck up in the air. 

"Why you little…" Kaoru fumed, her eyebrows twitching violently. "…fox!" she finished, angrily snatching her tray back. "She thinks she knows it all, does she? Well, she doesn't! How did she know about this Priss-person anyway?! And I DO have a life!" She stomped away still muttering.

Soujirou just smiled quietly to himself. Sometimes, it was impossible to believe that those two have been sharing an apartment for five years now. His brown eyes went back to the unusually quiet girl still sitting in front of him. 

"You were the one who suggested to Okina-san to get Sekiria to play here, ne, Misao-chan?" he tried once again to brighten her up. 

The girl gave him another blank look before forcing a smile. "Yeah. I knew it'd be good publicity. Besides, who wouldn't want the hottest new band in their club?"

Soujirou was about to reply when the crowd suddenly cheered loudly. The band was coming on stage.

"Hey! Bartender!" 

He saw a young man wave him over. Soujirou placed his hand lightly over Misao's. "Cheer up, Misao-chan. Everything's gonna be fine." He smiled amiably and went back to his job.

Misao looked after him, a small, genuine smile on her lips. Priss's rich, deep voice filled the entire pub as she started on their first song. Soujirou was right. She ought to cheer up. It was so unlike her to sit in a corner and brood moodily when the rest of the world was singing and dancing to the music of the most popular rock band in Tokyo. Truth was, she had been pestering Okina to book the group the first time she had heard them. She had been waiting for this day for ages and now that it was finally here, what was she doing? Sulking. 

Her eyes went back to the young bartender. Okina was originally Soujirou's partner in the bar. But since the old man was blissfully resting in a hospital room, eyeing his beautiful nurses with delight, Misao was supposed to take his place. Not that Soujirou needed help. In fact, the boy seemed to be so at ease with what he was doing. There were demands for all sorts of drinks every fraction of a second, but his sharp ears and skillful hands manage to grant all their wishes with a bartender's grace and a whole-hearted smile.

Misao smiled softly inspite of herself. She couldn't even imagine where she would be without Soujirou. From that day on the rooftop, they have been inseparable. There were times that Misao would get so frustrated with Soujirou's unseemingly never-angry-always-happy disposition in life. She could never understand how he could still bear to smile even after all that has happened to him. He told her once that his smiles could never erase the past but at least it could make the present livable. She had pulled her hair and screamed 'What the hell does that mean?!' then, but somehow, she understood. She never scolded him again for smiling at problems. The gesture would still creep her out sometimes, but when she herself has got some problems of her own, it was those very smiles that would give her most comfort. 

Determination filled her aquamarine eyes. Soujirou was right. Everything will turn out okay. Misao stood from her seat and slid over to the bar. She put on her apron with a firm nod. It was not like Aoshi dumped her or anything. He's just…thinking about it. She DID drop the bomb on him so suddenly. He's probably still trying to sort out his feelings for her. Or something. Right. 

"Hey miss! Once you finish your daydreaming, can you give me my beer?"

The man's gruff voice ended her musings and snapped her back to reality. "One beer coming right up!" she replied cheerfully, heading to the fridge. 

"I'd like a Holland, please."

"A couple of whiskeys. Blended."

Misao grabbed a tall-necked bottle of beer and handed it to the customer. "Holland and whiskey." She turned to the numerous bottles of alcoholic beverages before her. "Ettou…a Holland's a…"

"Gin," Soujirou supplied, handing her the green bottle. 

"Right," the girl took the container with a grateful smile. She poured the colorless liquid into the small glass. Misao was about to reach for the straight and light whiskeys when a beer bottle almost touched her nose.

"Do I look like a light to you?!" the enraged man demanded, thrusting the bottle further down her face. "I said beer. Not light! Do I look like a light?!"

At this point, the crowd shrieked with all their lungs as Priss took the microphone from its stand and started walking on the stage, singing their second song for the night. Misao swatted the large arm away with an irritated grimace. 

"You don't have to shove it up my face, you know!" she screamed over the noise. She snatched the bottle from his hand and stomped back to the fridge. Grabbing the right beer this time, she marched back to the nose-and-eyebrow-pierced, glaring man. She pushed the bottle just as forcefully in his face. "There you go, sir."

The older man jerked his head back as he tried to avoid his precious nose from being flattened by Misao's fist. His foot slipped from its perch on the stool and his large, muscular body followed suit. Grabbing on to the counter, he managed to steady himself before boring his dark brown eyes into Misao's smug blue-green ones. 

"You brat!" he spat out, bringing his face inches from the girl's. "You'll pay for that!"

"Ooh, I'm shaking in fear," Misao glared back. 

"Why you…"

"Anou, what about my order?" a girl looked from one red face to the other uncertainly. 

Two glasses were pushed towards her. "Hai, two blended whiskeys." Soujirou gave her a smile before moving over to his partner. "Sumimasen, Misao-chan, I think Himura-san's done washing the other glasses and we really need them now," he gently took hold of the girl's shoulders and prodded her towards the swinging doors heading to the kitchen. "Onegai, ne, Misao-chan?"

"Not yet, Sou-chan," the stubborn girl did not budge. "I'll show this…scumbag just who he's dealing with! Nobody messes with Makima--Sou-chan!" 

Misao's little speech was cut short when the boy started pushing her more firmly towards the kitchen. "We really need those glasses, Misao-chan. Don't worry, I'll handle him." He gave her one final light shove into the kitchen doors.

The smiling boy went back to the irate customer taking a swig off his beer. "I'm sorry about that, sir. Why don't you move over by the lounge area to relax a little? I've seen the way that lady had been looking at you all night. I think maybe you should enjoy the night, ne?"

"Really?" the man looked at the direction Soujirou had nodded. A girl with bright purple hair and a pierced lower lip raised her bottle. "Heh. You're right." The man gave him a sidelong glance before walking away. "You're not so bad, but they better fire your partner if you still want people to actually come to your club."

Soujirou's smile just widened. "Thanks for the advice." He watched the man saunter over the couch. Then his chocolate brown eyes went to the main door of their bar. He could still make out Hiko Seijouro's muscular form near the door, regulating the flow of people going in and out the pub. Even with this many people inside, Soujirou was sure there was still a long line waiting outside. It was definitely Nirvana's busiest night. His eyes went past a familiar face before the name flashed in his brain. He looked back to see a tall, dark-haired man wearing an unmistakable white trenchcoat with a yellow collar.

"Shinomori-san," he greeted cordially once the man was within earshot. "It's been a long time since you last visited. What can I get you?"

"Nothing," the blue-eyed man replied in his flat tone. "I'm not staying. Where's Misao?"

"She just got something from the back. She'll be out soon. Are you sure you don't want something to drink?"

Aoshi opened his mouth to decline again when Misao's irritated voice rang out first.

"Here're your freaking glasses, Sou-chan. Now where's that basta--" she almost dropped a trayful of shot glasses at the sight of her Okashira. "Aoshi-sama." A warm rush of blood filled her cheeks, ears and neck. She had frozen instantly, her legs refusing to move, her eyes refusing to leave his deep blue ones. It was a mystery how she had managed not to drop the tray when she could barely feel her arms attached to her shoulders. Her heart was beating so fiercely, it felt like it was about to jump out of her chest. 

Her mind was racing as well. She did not even notice Soujirou take the tray from her and move away so the two of them could talk.

Why was he there? To tease her? No, Aoshi was not like that. He probably did not even know what the word meant. Maybe he had given the incident earlier that morning enough thought. Maybe he has sorted out his feelings for her. Maybe he was here to tell her…

"You left your assignment."

Aoshi's cool, fluid voice brought her out of her musings. "Huh?"

"The boy's file." He slid the folder on the table. "I also forgot to tell you earlier that I have scheduled for you to meet him here tomorrow. You're going to need this for that."

"Oh." Disappointment was so transparent in her voice and face. She looked down at the long, yellow folder. She tried to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat but couldn't. It was so dry.

"That's all." 

At those two words, Misao's eyes darted up to his face. Clearly reflected in them were a mixture of emotions, so just like that morning. Longing. Affection. Hurt. Despair. Love. She was looking at him, pleading him to say something--anything--about what happened earlier. He could not stand looking at those twin pools of hope with the color of the ocean. He closed his lids and turned around, doing his best to shut out her beautiful face, her imploring eyes. But he couldn't.

He started walking away.

"Aoshi-sama…" she murmured in a deflated voice. Her shoulders slumped and her knees grew weak. She blinked rapidly, forcing the tears back into the glands and not onto her hot cheeks. She stared at Aoshi's back, yearning to slide under the counter and run after him. She caught Soujirou's sympathetic gaze. The boy gave an encouraging nod. Her eyes went back to the Oniwabanshuu leader, who was by now at the door. 

"Aoshi-sama!" Misao rushed out of the bar and towards the door. Her shouts were swallowed by the noisy crowd but she kept on nonetheless. After much pushing and shoving, she was finally out the door. People were swarming all over, even outside their club. She turned her head this way and that, craning her neck just for the sight of that beloved yellow-collared white trench coat. 

"He went to your right."

Misao could not see Hiko but she knew his voice. With a hurried 'Thanks!' she dashed to her right, elbowing her way. When the crowd thinned at last, she saw him. 

"Aoshi-sama!" she cried. Using the last drop of adrenaline in her system, she scrambled towards him. 

The young man stopped and turned around, a slight look of surprise in his face. 

Once beside him, she caught her breath, stalling at the same time. Now that she had gotten his attention, she had no idea what to say to him. All of a sudden, she pulled out a cheery smile out of nowhere. It shocked them both.

"Thanks for bringing my assignment, Aoshi-sama," she told him, her voice remarkably light. "I really appreciate it."

The young man nodded. "Yeah."

"And also," she paused, her eyes rolling to one side before focusing back on his face. "I won't be able to come to the office for several days. It's just that Jiya's in the hospital and Belldandy's away and Shiro got burned today…they need me here…I hope it's alright with you. I'll still work on the boy's case and I'll have it in as soon as I can," she added hastily. She looked up to him expectantly. "Please?"

He watched her curiously, his unflickering blue eyes picking up something amiss with the girl. Just minutes earlier, she had been all ready to cry her heart out. Now, she was looking at him like nothing happened. But it was not his place to probe. Still, her sudden change of attitude stabbed him deeper than her reaction earlier. She was trying to act normal around him, when he knows that deep inside, she was hurting. Hurting because of him.

"Fine. Just don't forget your duties to the Oniwabanshuu." He gave her one last look before going on his way. 

"Hai." She nodded with a grin. "Thanks, Aoshi-sama. Take care!" She turned swiftly around and ran back to Nirvana. Instead of heading to the main entrance, she went towards the back door. Leaning her burning, sweating forehead onto the cool, metal door, she sank on her knees and cried. 

***

It was way past ten in the evening when Honjo Kamatari and her stepbrother glided their way past the long line of people waiting to be let in the club. Even from the outside, Priss Asagiri's deep, velvety voice could be heard singing in perfect accord to the music of the rock band. Several college students and yuppies, accepting the fact that they would never be let in to even catch a glimpse of the popular band, consoled themselves by staging their own party just outside the pub, dancing and singing along with the music as if they were inside the club. 'Losers,' she thought, grinning smugly as she followed behind her stepbrother who was elbowing his way towards the door. 

"Sorry, club's full," a deep male voice informed them. A tall, very muscular man guarded the door. His arms are folded in his chest in a manner that clearly stated: 'Don't even think about it.' 

This was Kamatari's cue. She slipped between her stepbrother and the guard, resting a long, white hand on the older man's firm arms. "Oh, come on," she purred, using her soft sexy voice that could make any man's heart race. "What's a couple more sweaty bodies in there?"

Apparently, he was not to be swayed by voice alone. "It's two too much. You could look for another club or join them if you want to," he nodded to the pathetic crowd outside. 

"My, you're a tough one…" she continued, her hand traveling up his arms, onto his shoulders and neck. Then, out of his ears, just like a very old magician's trick, she pulled out several paper bills. By the hundreds. "Fine then. How about I help you, and you help me in return? I'm sure you've heard of the Honjos?" she lowered her voice, making it astonishingly sexier.

"What if I have?" Hiko narrowed his eyes as the girl's fingers waved the cash enticingly before his face.

"Well, let's just say that I'm a Honjo and he's a Sagara. And here's our proof," she looked at him from under her lashes as she trailed the bills lightly down his chest. "With the two of us, we could do miracles for this cute little joint of yours. What do you say?" She tucked the money sharply on the waist of his black leather pants.

Hiko Seijouro eyed scrupulously the girl in front of him. She was tall and slim, with ebony black hair that turned upwards upon reaching her shoulders. He could not make out the color of her eyes, only that it was dark. Probably dark blue. Hiko had seen the late tycoon Honjo Makoto a couple of times on TV and he has got to admit, the girl does hold a resemblance. His eyes went to the impatient young man beside her. She had mentioned the name Sagara. The Sagaras have been in politics for ages. If what she claimed is true, Kaoru and even the old man Okina would definitely kill just to have them in Nirvana. Not only his salary, but his very employment was on the line.

"Fine. Get in before I change my mind." He stepped back, sighing in resignation.

The girl gave a small, delighted shriek. Her arms flew behind the bewildered man's neck, her lips planting a light, feathery kiss right on top of Hiko's nose. "I knew you weren't so bad!" She released the guard, flashing her stepbrother a V sign. "Come on, Sano. Let's par-tay! Woohoo!" She shook her head and hips to the music as she stepped inside the bar.

The boy gave the dumbfounded Hiko a mischievous grin. "She's good, ain't she?" he chuckled lightly as he followed Kamatari inside.

Once in, the two automatically went their own ways. Kamatari danced her way towards the platform where the band was playing, while Sanosuke headed straight to the bar. 

"Tequila," he told the young bartender. He looked casually around while waiting for his order, searching the crowd for girls. Almost immediately, he noticed a pretty, short-haired girl checking him out. He closed his eyes and shook his head, laughing quietly to himself. This game with girls has always been an easy one for him, especially with his soft dark brown hair, deep brown eyes and a perfect set of pectoral muscles, not to mention his toothpaste-ad smile. Add in his family name and the girls are practically swooning over him.

'This'll be a piece of cake,' he thought to himself. When his drink was ready, he wolfed it down with three large gulps. He set down the shot glass before whipping around, graceful as a model. The movement was purely for showing off and impressing the girl, but unfortunately, it did not reap the desired effect. Instead of facing his prey and keeping eye contact with her as he had intended, his vision was blocked by midnight black hair and a pair of glaring hazel brown eyes.

He had bumped on one of the club's waitresses, sending her tray to litter the floor with glass shreds. 

"There is a reason those eyes are placed on your face," the girl knelt down to gather the larger pieces of glass on her tray. She shot him a look that could stop fire. "Why don't you try to actually USE them sometime?"

A spark of irritation passed in those eyes, but he tried to control himself. "You weren't exactly looking at where you were headed either."

Megumi stood up and stared at him evenly. "I was clearing the table. I wasn't even walking."

"Are you suggesting this was all my fault?" the boy gritted his teeth. 

"It was most certainly not mine."

"You obviously have no idea who I am. For your information, I am Sagara Sanosuke. I'm sure you've heard of my father."

"Just because you claim to be the son of a senator doesn't mean you are excused from having eyesight. And if you're really a Sagara, then you wouldn't have any problem paying for the damage you've caused, am I right?"

Sano's eye twitched furiously. He has never met a girl who continued to speak impudently at him after knowing who he is. The girl was trying the patience he had so little to start with. "I'll pay for it, and more," he slammed several hundreds on the counter. 

"Wow, I never thought you'd actually pay to get a girl," a female voice commented. "What, your charms did not work? Now that's a first, stepbrother."

"Shut up, Kamatari," Sano growled menacingly. He gave Megumi one last scowl before dissolving in the crowd.

"Ignore him, he's just an overgrown brat," Kamatari told the waitress. 

For some reason, Megumi did not like the stepsister any better than her stepbrother. "Let me guess. You're a Honjo."

"Call me Kamatari. Unlike him, I don't really tell every single person I meet my last name. That is, unless I have to."

The older girl just rolled her eyes and started walking away. 

Kamatari just shrugged. "I guess some people don't know how to handle celebrities." She looked around for the bartender, and found him patting the back of a girl slumped over a garbage basket. She saw the girl wipe some puke sliding down her chin with the handkerchief the boy handed her before leaning on her friends who helped her out of the pub. 

"That has got to be the grossest part of your job," she commented once the bartender was back. 

"Still part of the job," the chestnut-haired boy told her with a smile. "What can I get you?"

"Vodka please." Kamatari watched as he flipped the bottle in the air, catching it with the other hand and pouring the colorless liquid with one fluid motion. He dropped a piece of olive before passing the glass to her.

"As you wish," he smiled again, his lids covering his warm chocolate brown eyes. But it did not conceal the warmth in his voice. 

The rich girl's dark blue eyes stayed glued on the young bartender's radiant face. She has never seen anyone quite like him. He was pretty cute. His chestnut-colored hair, his chocolate-colored eyes, his never-ending smiles… Kamatari finally caught herself, instantly dropping her gaze as blood flooded her cheeks. She could feel her heart flutter. 

Deciding she needed to know his name, she cleared her throat and looked up. "Anou…"

"Yo, Soujirou! Give me the regular!" a voice called out.

The boy looked at the customer and nodded. "Hai!" He turned back to Kamatari. "Excuse me," he started, bowing his apology. "I'll be back in a sec."

"Sure…" Kamatari nodded, seating herself on the leather stool of the bar. She watched him mix several drinks.

'I'll be waiting…Soujirou-kun…'

*******************************************************************************************************************TBC

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Author's Notes: Whew! That was a long one! As I said before, the Honjo Kamatari in this fic is an authentic girl, unlike the one in the series. I hope you wouldn't have a hard time picturing her as a female, since she does look very feminine, actually. At least I think so. ^_^ As you might have guessed, one of the side pairings I mentioned in the last chap is Sano/Megumi. It's gonna be real slight though, since the main focus should be on A/M/S…which is about to be hit by a whirlwind with a name. Erm, yeah. ^^; I'm sure you could guess who it is. So, anyway, what do you think? Is it getting too OOC? Is the story too clichéd? Is the writing bad? Please tell me the truth! I'm very much open to constructive criticism and suggestions! Tell me what you think! Oh, and of course, the eternal question: A/M or S/M? Review please!!

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KiiKii: Thanks! Family problems and illness is a bad combination. I really hope BeyDen would get better soon. Once she's back in the internet, I hope this fic could cheer her up in a way. Hope it cheered YOU up. ^_^

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regina-terrae: Sorry, as much as I want to count all ten, I'm afraid I could only count that as one vote. I decided to honor only one vote per review of a chapter. You could vote in every chapter but only one per chapter. Okay, that was confusing. ^^; Anyway, thanks for the review. There is no Kenshin-Aoshi interaction as of yet, but it's coming soon!

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Cat H: Sexy? Heck, yeah! ^_^ I also adore men who are good cooks. I think they're…er…yummy. ^^; And that's another S/M vote in!

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hmikomi: Since you voted for A/M in all three chaps, those are three A/M votes in! Hope you like this one.

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Person: Another S/M vote! Yay! Go S/M!

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Deathblade: Thanks! That's another A/M vote in. Am writing more! ^_^

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rikki: That's an S/M vote in. What can you say about this chap?

Come on, people! Tell me who you think should be with Misao in the end? Review please!


	5. Chapter Five

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For Her Smile

By: sophomoric genius

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Disclaimer: I do not own RK. All of them are copyright their respective creators. Any similarities with other fics are purely coincidental unless stated otherwise.

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Author's Note: I've always loved the Aoshi/Misao/Soujirou triangle and although there are already tons of fics with this kind of pairing, I decided to add another one. ^_^ This fic is inspired by all the A/M, S/M and A/M/S fics that I've had the privilege to read. I hope this does not have too many similarities to those fics, and if there is and you don't like it, kindly say so in your review. *_* This is an Alternate Universe, set in our time (meaning NOW). Hope you like it! Enjoy reading and please review!! XD

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A/N P.S.: In this AU, Kamatari is a completely genuine GIRL. o.O; Read on and find out. :)

Chapter Five

He tucked the folder on his back, making sure it was snug behind his pants. Grabbing a firm hold on the wooden makeshift ladder, he hoisted his body and started climbing his way up the unfinished rooftop of the abandoned building.

Hours had passed but Misao did not return to Nirvana after she had run out of the bar in pursuit of Aoshi. Soujirou was worried but he could not do anything but wait. He could not leave his post but his concern for his friend was visible. When they were closing, Kenshin told him he heard someone crying outside the kitchen door, but when he went to investigate, no one was there. Soujirou was convinced it was Misao, though he never said it out loud. 

He went straight to Misao's house, but was greeted by silence. She was not yet home. He tried to drop by the hospital where Okina was staying but she wasn't there either. There could only be one place left to look for her. 

Soujirou's lips curved lightly as he remembered the first time they saw the building. 

~They were nearing the end of their junior year in High School. There were rumors that the old, unfinished four-story building held spirits unable to progress to afterlife. It was also the time when Misao had been fascinated by supernatural entities, claiming she had an open third eye. Naturally, Misao was practically bursting to head straight to the building and make her contact. Soujirou tried to appeal to her reason, of course, but back then, the girl apparently left her logic somewhere in between her trigonometry assignment and chemistry project. He knew that once Misao's got her mind wrapped around a whim, there's no stopping her. But along with her notoriously crazy and impossible notions, Soujirou knew disaster inevitably follows. 

So the two of them had sneaked out of their homes and met in front of the Ghost Building. Misao had a video cam on her hand, a still camera around her neck and a twisted, quirky grin on her face. After shoving the camera to his chest, she had snatched his arm and marched decidedly inside. They had scouted every nook and corner of the structure but found nothing but rotting wood and rusty iron rods. They were on the fourth floor when Misao gasped suddenly. 

"There! I saw her! Did you see that, Sou-chan?" she had grabbed his arm so tightly, he could feel her fingers cut off the flow of blood to his upper arms. "She was climbing up that ladder. I think she wants us to follow her! Get ready, Sou-chan! Now's our chance!"

Soujirou had squinted at the weak, unstable wooden ladder. "I don't see anything, Misao-chan," he had told her with a yawn. "Besides, I didn't know ghosts use ladders. Couldn't they just float up or something?" 

He had been feeling really sleepy then and did not realize what he had just said until Misao took both his shoulders and shook him hard. "How could you say that, Sou-chan?! If you really don't want to believe me, fine! I'm going up there and prove you wrong!" 

At this, Soujirou had snapped awake and followed his friend to the ladder. "Wait, Misao-chan. You can't go up there with that. It couldn't support your weight."

"Are you now telling me that I'm fat?" 

"No, of course not. You don't have an ounce of fat in your body, but you do have muscles and muscles weigh more than fat," he had told her amiably. "Let me try it out first to see if it's safe, ne, Misao-chan?"

"Oh, alright. Whatever."

Once they were up, Misao had completely forgotten about her 'ghost.' 

The building was located in a more elevated part of their town and from the rooftop, they could see the artificial lights that illuminated the city. Vacant lots surrounded them, giving them that feeling of seclusion, like they were mere observers witnessing life play itself out on the city streets.

"I think I like it here," Soujirou had commented softly, enjoying the slight breeze caressing his cheeks. "Reminds me of my home."

"Would you like to talk about it?" Misao's aquamarine eyes were soft and understanding. 

They had been friends for two years then, but he hadn't told her much about his past. She didn't try to pry it out of him either, like she would normally have done. She often caught the subtle flash of pain in his chocolate brown eyes whenever their talks turn in the direction of his family. He would then answer briefly and switch topics. Misao knew he would tell her his story in his own time, when he is ready. 

"I'm an illegitimate child," he had told her, his voice amazingly light. "A bastard." 

He then tilted his face, looking up at the crescent moon. His lips continued to move, weaving the delicate strands of his childhood into the dark, melancholy fabric of his life, airing it out willingly in front of someone for the very first time. Once he had started, it all just seemed to pour out readily. He told her everything. That his wealthy father married only for the sake of their family name. That his mother was only a servant of that family. How the two of them met and fell in love. How the family was scandalized when they heard of the relationship, but decided that the secret would be safer from nosy reporters and blackmails if they kept his mother in their home. 

"My father wanted to take my mother and go someplace else so they could live peacefully, but she didn't want to cause more trouble. He only relented to stay when he found out that she was pregnant with me. The others would treat hahaue and me fairly well whenever my father's around, but once he's gone, they would hit us in places chichiue wouldn't see. When chichiue died in a car accident, we thought we could finally leave the Seta household and live in peace. But chichiue wanted to protect us to the end. In his will, he stated that his legal wife would only receive half of his estate if they would continue to support hahaue and me. I was supposed to inherit the other half once I reach twenty-three. This weakened hahaue and enraged them all, but none of us could do anything about it. They hated us even more, beating us harder and more openly than before. My mom died soon after. But I was still left under their care. So they decided to just throw me away. They sent me here to live alone, sending me some money once a month."

Once he had finished, he could feel his heart lighten. It actually felt good. But now that she knew it all, how would she react? Soujirou closed his lids, not wanting to face her. He did not like being thrashed, but he hated pity more than anything else.

"The nerve of those people!" Misao had exclaimed, her voice filled with rage. "Tell me where they live and I swear, Sou-chan, I'll make them pay for what they did to you! Those snobs think they could trample people like some sort of rags. I'll give them some good whopping in the ass, see if I don't!"

Soujirou had been surprised at Misao's reaction. Nobody had ever defended him or his mother before, except for his father. His heart felt like it was about to burst. "Arigatou, Misao-chan. I'm just glad I'm away from them now."

Misao had clutched his shoulders, forcing him to look at her. "Remember this, Sou-chan. Whenever something reminds you of them or your past, remember this. You were born out of love. No matter what anybody tell you, you're special. For your dad. For your mom. For me. That's all that matters."~

Soujirou closed his eyes and smiled at the memory of that evening three years ago. He was by now at the rooftop. It hasn't changed a bit after all those years, still littered with junks and rotted wood. His eyes instinctively went over the large space near the edge of the building. Leaning on one of the crude posts was a small figure whose legs were dangling several feet from the ground, her hands wrapped around her slender frame. 

He found her.

His eyes softened as he walked towards Misao. The boy took off the black leather jacket she had given him on his birthday and wrapped it gently around the sleeping girl. His hand went to brush some wisps of raven bangs away from her face. At this, Misao stirred. She opened her eyes slightly, gazing sleepily at the boy.

"Sou-chan," she murmured, trying to straighten up. "What are you doing here?"

The dark-haired boy sat beside her, allowing his own legs to hang from the building. "We've been worried sick about you. I just wanted to make sure you're alright." He angled his head to face her, his brown eyes watching her cautiously. "Are you?"

"Of course I am," Misao told him with a careless toss of her braid. "I just wanted to get some air and I forgot the time…" Her eyes dropped to stare her feet. 

"Misao-chan…" Soujirou started, but he did not get the chance to finish his sentence. 

Misao suddenly turned to him, her blue-green eyes wild and desperate. Tears were cascading down her cheeks. He had never seen her like that and it scared him to death.

"He could never love me, Sou-chan. Never. I've loved him all my life. Do you have any idea how much it hurts? To know that the one person that you've loved ever since could never ever return your feelings?" She closed her eyes and shook her head, burrowing her face in Soujirou's chest. She gripped his navy blue shirt in her tight fists, as if holding on for her life. "It hurts, Sou-chan. It hurts like hell." 

Soujirou wrapped his arms around her shaking body. "I know, Misao-chan. I know." His whispers were barely audible. A flash that Misao could easily have recognized as pain had she seen it, passed briefly over Soujirou's face. 

To love someone with all your heart but not have them love you back. Yes, he does know. He closed his eyes, his forehead wrinkling with a frown as he himself struggled to keep his emotions in check.

"No, Sou-chan. I'm not alright," Misao continued, sobbing uncontrollably. "But I'll be. I know I will. I have to. I just have to…"

"Let it out, Misao-chan," he murmured softly, resting his chin on the girl's soft ebony locks. "I'm right here. You could just let it all out."

***

Misao yawned as she adjusted the tinted glasses perched on her nose of the hundredth time. Under her puffy, red eyes were two large bags hideously colored light purple. Without her sunglasses, she looked like someone had punched both her eyes. To make things worse, she could feel herself nod off every other second. How was she supposed to pull off an interview with a client in her state? She hadn't even so much as peeked at his file. Soujirou assured her he would be the one to watch out for the boy and guide him to her table. But after that, she would have to carry a conversation and how could she do that when her brain was evidently and literally out of order?

"Misao-chan?"

Her eyelids flew open. "Huh? Yeah?"

"Your client's here," Soujirou told her. He waited for the boy to settle into the chair before asking him if he wanted something to eat or drink.

Misao stared blankly at the ten-year-old boy with thick, unruly black hair and huge dark brown eyes. "What the…but you're a kid!" she blurted out. "You can't be…" she quickly opened the folder and read the name. She noticed the picture on the upper left corner of the file. "Myoujin Yahiko…" she pronounced the name slowly, her eyes traveling from the picture to the boy in front of her. 

"Yes, that's me. You have a problem with that?" the boy folded his hands across his chest and glared at her. 

Misao has just suffered from a major heartbreak and spent a sleepless night crying her eyes out. She was clearly not in the mood for ten-year-old boys giving off airs and talking at her like he was the king of the world and she was but a lowly farm animal. "Do you have any money? And by that I mean real money not those round metal things you use to play in the arcades."

"Look, OBA-SAN, I already paid half of your fee and I'll pay the other half only when you've found my real parents. Come to think of it, the pregnant woman told me that the private investigators in your Agency are highly talented but I don't see how an old maid like you could be one of those."

"NANI?! What did you just call me, you brat?!" Misao's sleepiness completely evaporated, along with the steam that spurted out of her ears and nose. She was all ready to strangle the impudent kid when an unfamiliar voice filled the restaurant.

"SOU-KUN!! You're here!" Kamatari breezed inside Nirvana, the scent of her sweet, expensive perfume filling every nostril. She headed straight to the counter where Soujirou was reading the orders to the kitchen staff. "I knew you'd be here!"

"Kamatari-san, what can I do for you?" the dark-haired boy greeted her with a smile.

Misao, meanwhile, completely forgot about her young client and instead was gaping at the girl, her mind racing. 'Sou-kun?!?! Now who the hell is she?! I'm sure I've never seen her before. Sou-chan would tell me if he had a girlfriend, wouldn't he? An ex, maybe? It's not likely but it's not impossible either. Well, I ain't gonna rest until I find out!' Her heart gave a slight quiver at the thought of Soujirou having a girlfriend, past or present, but not knowing exactly what it was, she ignored it. Misao stood up, still glaring at the newcomer. She was about to take a step forward when a hand appeared out of the blue and pinched her ear.

"YEOW!" 

"And where do you think you're going?!" Yahiko demanded right on her ear. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me exactly how you plan to find my biological parents. Then, I'll decide whether you could handle my case or not."

"What the…let go, you punk!" Misao took hold of the boy's wrist and pulled it forcefully away from her ear. 

"Hey, excuse me," Kamatari called out to them, irritation written plainly in her face. "Could you two pipe down? This is Sou-kun's restaurant, not the mental institution."

Even behind her dark glasses, Soujirou could see Misao's eye twitch. "SOU-KUN?!"

"Ettou, ne, Misao-chan…" the boy tried to appease the fuming girl. 

Kamatari looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. She quickly noted the -chan, when she thought Soujirou called everyone with a -san. 'The two are close,' she realized, her dark blue orbs returning to the bespectacled girl. She narrowed her eyes.

"And for your information," Misao continued, glaring at the blue-eyed girl. "My grandfather and I own this place so I could whatever I want to. And YOU are?!"

The girl just grinned smugly. "Honjo Kamatari," she told her airily. "I'm sure you'll remember my name." She turned to Soujirou who was scratching the back of his head, a sheepish smile in his handsome face. "I'm afraid I can't stay long this time. But I'll try to come by later, I promise. Bye, Sou-kun!" She started out the door. When she reached the door, she stopped. Her hand resting lightly on the glass door, she turned around and looked at Misao in the eye. 

"By the way, we Honjos ALWAYS get what we want. No matter what." She gave Misao one last smirk before walking out the door. 

'And what the hell does she mean by that?!' Misao rested her hands on her hips, still glaring at the door. "She makes my blood boil! I have no idea what she's talking about but I'm not giving in to her that easily! So what if she's a Honjo?! If she wants a fight, I'll give her a fight!"

******************************************************************************************************************TBC

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Author's Notes: This chap's rather short, but I didn't get much sleep last night either and am feeling really, really sleepy. So gomen if it's quite…er…bad. T_T;; I hope you liked it nonetheless! I'd really appreciate some comments and suggestions on both the story and my writing. Please tell me what I'm doing wrong and what I'm doing right (if I'm doing anything right) so I would know what to work on. Feel free to share your ideas on what you think should happen in the story. And of course, tell me your vote: A/M or S/M? I really hope nobody would get mad at me in the end when I pair Misao up with the winner. ^.^ Maa, I'll try my best to make the pairing likable to those rooting for the other pair. That's a long way down the road anyways and I'll just worry about that later. Anyhoo, thanks for reading and please review!!

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TeNk: That's three votes in! I think you forgot to vote in the third chap. ^_^ 

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Deathblade: Thanks! Another vote for S/M! Hope you liked this one too.

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Person: Arigatou gozaimasu!! Am updating! And that's another S/M vote in! :)

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Fyrefly: Nice nick! :P Thanks! That's the first A/M vote for this chap! Hope you're still reading this!

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Gee-YouKnit: Hey, thanks! ^_^ Your S/M vote's in! Honestly, I have absolutely no idea where the S/M pairing came from. In the series, I don't think Sou even knew who Misao was. ^^; But I sure am grateful to whoever made that pairing up! It's definitely one of my faves! And here's more! :)

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tanuki-musume: It's so hard to choose between the two of them, I know! And that's an A/M vote in! I'll keep your suggestion in mind. If you have any more, just tell me, kay? ^_^ And about the K/K stuff, yep, I'm planning some of that. But it'll be real small since this should be focused on A/M/S. 

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Lord Cirenmas: Thanks! And that's another S/M vote in!

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Katsuyumi/Jade/Sam: Thank you! :) But you didn't tell me your vote. A/M or S/M?

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chris: Hey, you're back! ^_^ I agree a hundred percent! Another S/M vote in.

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linh: I'm updating! Another A/M vote in! Thanks for the review! ^_^

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regina-terrae: Yep, Kamatari's a hundred percent girl in this fic, complete with the…er…organs. ^^; I hope that doesn't bother you. Your S/M vote for this chap's in! 

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Ruby: And that's four S/M votes in! Hope you like this chap!

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liemtenshi: Of course I'll torture the ever-so-cool-and-emotionless Aoshi-sama! Like you said, the guy needs some real hard knocking in the head! I have something especially planned for him…*cackles evilly* And so that's another A/M vote in!

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Cat H: A/M vote this time, check! You like the Sano/Megumi quibbling too, huh? ^_^ It can be irritating sometimes, others, just plain cute, ne? :)

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Mikari: Another A/M vote in! And, yes, they *do* go so well together!

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Unknown: Thanks! So that's the last S/M vote for the chap! And yeah, there are a lot of A/M fics out there, but I suppose fans just can't get enough of them, ne?

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Tally of Votes: (from first chap to the fourth)** A/M =** 12; **S/M =** 20. 

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Advertisement: (Is this too cocky? ^^;) To those S/M fans in search of other fics with this pairing, why don't you try out A. Pikachu's _Behind The Smile_. There's some bit of A/M in there too, but be warned, Aoshi's a kinda OOC. I think the story's nearing its end but it's a cool read anyways, so try it sometime, ne? ^_^ (There you go, A. Pikachu! Hope you're reading this! *.*)

Yep, you know what I'm about to ask. A/M or S/M? It's all up to you. Review please!


	6. Chapter Six

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For Her Smile

By: sophomoric genius

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Disclaimer: I do not own RK. All of them are copyright their respective creators. Any similarities with other fics are purely coincidental unless stated otherwise.

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Author's Note: I've always loved the Aoshi/Misao/Soujirou triangle and although there are already tons of fics with this kind of pairing, I decided to add another one. ^_^ This fic is inspired by all the A/M, S/M and A/M/S fics that I've had the privilege to read. I hope this does not have too many similarities to those fics, and if there is and you don't like it, kindly say so in your review. *_* This is an Alternate Universe, set in our time (meaning NOW). Hope you like it! Enjoy reading and please review!! XD

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A/N P.S.: In this AU, Kamatari is a completely genuine GIRL. o.O; Read on and find out. :)

Chapter Six

"It's all my fault," the dark haired manager squeezed her eyes shut, as if the movement could somehow erase everything that has happened. "I should have been more careful. I shouldn't have hired people that easily. I should have studied them first, learned more about their background…" she shook her head and sighed heavily. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Misao laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault, Kaoru-san. We needed help so badly, that's why you had to hire in such a hurry. Nobody knew that damned Chou was a thief! It's only one night's earnings anyway. We're not blaming you so stop blaming yourself, Kaoru-san. Ne, Jiya? "

"Misao-chan's right, Kaoru," the old man nodded in agreement. "There's no use crying over spilled milk. You're still Nirvana's cute manager so start acting like one again. That's an order. We lost a night's worth of cash. That's fine. But I do not intend to loose my whole establishment, and with that long face and absent-minded head, young lady, that's exactly what will happen. Now, go back there and open up. It's nearly twelve and if you don't hurry, we'll loose the flow!"

Kaoru gazed at the temporarily bed-ridden man with graying hair and blue-ribboned goatee. His face was serious and commanding, yet his youthful eyes held sympathy and understanding. She smiled weakly, giving a short nod. "Hai. Arigatou, Okina-san," she said softly, tears of gratitude gathering at the corners of her eyes.

Okina just gave a reckless wave. "Yeah, yeah. Now go!"

The older girl stood from her chair and headed for the door, bowing low before leaving the room. Misao jumped from her perch on her grandfather's bed suddenly, sending the old man bouncing violently on the firm mattress. "Misao-chan!" he cried out in pain, his hands cradling his hips.

But the girl did not even notice. "I'll find that Chou and get our money and Kaoru-san's pride back, Jiya! I'll teach him a lesson! He thinks he's gotten away with it, does he? Well, no one gets away from the Oniwabanshuu, especially Makimachi Misao!" Her fist shot up, a determined look flashing in her blue-green eyes.

"No."

Her resolute grin was replaced by a questioning frown. She turned to face her grandfather, whose forehead wrinkled disapprovingly. "Why not?"

"We had an arrangement, Misao-chan," his voice took on a different tone. It held the same authority and firmness he uses when it comes to his work, but this time it was harder, harsher. "None of the Oniwabanshuu foolishness in my business. I allowed you to join the Agency even though you knew how much I resent it. You told me you're old enough to make your own decisions, and I agreed, but with the condition that your spying ends the moment you set one foot inside Nirvana."

"I know, but Jiya, this *is* for Nirvana!" Misao protested, but Okina was unyielding.

"None of the Oniwabanshuu foolishness," he repeated, his smoky gray eyes narrowing sternly at his granddaughter. 

"Alright, alright!" the girl threw her hands and rolled her eyes in exasperation. "I still don't get it. Why are you so mad at the Oniwabanshuu? You were a member once, right?"

Okina's body relaxed with Misao's reluctant agreement. He placed his head back on his pillow and closed his eyes. "A very long time ago. When do you plan to head over to Nirvana and help out? Next Christmas? Besides, I need my rest. The pretty nurse is about to do her rounds, and I want to look my best. Go now and make sure everything's okay, especially with Kaoru."

"You're impossible!" Misao declared with a shake of her head. She kissed him lightly on the forehead before starting for the door.

***

Kamiya Kaoru tapped her right foot impatiently against the cement floor of the sidewalk, waiting for the light to change in the intersection. She glanced at her silver-plated watch for the third time since her run to catch the 'Walk' sign was irritatingly cut short by the sudden change of color and the addition of 'Don't' on the traffic light, which was about fifteen seconds earlier. She folded her hands in front of her in frustration, once again cursing herself for being such a slow and stupid manager. 

She did not graduate with high honors, but she did have a pretty good grade sheet. She had worked for two companies before settling down in Nirvana, and although the closest thing she'd ever got to a manager was to make them coffee, she had been respected for her sound judgment and steady nerves. Both of which have totally and utterly gone out of her body, elusively hiding themselves as far from her as possible, leaving her nothing but a wreck at her wits end. 

The light finally turned green. Kaoru ran her hands through the leather strap of her purse, adjusting it on her shoulder. She was just about to land her right foot on the street when a hand appeared out of nowhere, snatching her shoulder bag, almost yanking the rest of her arm off along with it. 

"Wha--? Hey! HEY!! COME BACK HERE!!! THIEF!!!" 

She ran after the tall boy, keeping his dark green shirt in sight, screaming until her voice was hoarse. But she was a manageress who spends the whole day inside the restaurant, running after an apparently professional thief who probably spends an equal amount of time running away from cops. And she was no runner. She could feel her legs getting tired but her pride urged her on. She was NOT getting robbed for the second time in a row! 

She opened her mouth to scream again when she noticed a man with fiery red hair running after her thief. The redhead was fast. He closed the gap between him and the thief in seconds, knocking the younger boy down and grabbing the precious shoulder bag away from him. But like anybody else who earns their living nabbing bags and jewelries off their owners, the thief had plan B. The boy produced a small knife hidden inside his boots. With a rough, uncalculated thrust, he tried to stab his captor's arm. The redhead shifted quickly to his side, evading the blade easily. The young thief took this opportunity and wrestled his arm free from the man's strong grip, and with another jab of his knife, scrambled away as fast as his legs could carry him. The redhead was about to dash after him, when a rasping, desperate voice stopped him.

"Wait!" Kaoru panted, her hand resting lightly on her heaving chest. She slowed down to a stop and her legs instantly gave up on her, sending her down in a pathetic, wheezing heap. 

"Kaoru-dono!" the redhead rushed to her side. "Daijobou de gozaru yo?"

She filled her lungs with much-needed oxygen, allowing her pulse to return to normal before looking up at her hero's indigo eyes. "Kenshin…" She threw her arms around his neck so suddenly that the unsuspecting cook almost fell down with her weight.

"Oorooo?!"

"You saved my bag! You have no idea how grateful I am!" She released the swirly-eyed redhead and reached for her purse, running her face up and down its smooth, leather exterior. "I'd completely loose my face if they'd find out that I've been robbed for two days in a row!" Kaoru watched the dazed Kenshin suspiciously. "You're not planning to tell this to them, are you? 'Cause if you are, you're fired."

"I'm not going to say anything to anyone if you don't want me to, Kaoru-dono," the scarred young man told her with a smile. 

"Good," she nodded with relief. She stood up and started walking back to the intersection. "I can't believe what an idiot I am! Hiring Chou without even rechecking his credentials! I mean, he LOOKS sinister enough, with his wild hair and oh-so-creepy grin." Kaoru shuddered at the memory of the bar thief.

"He was pretty impressive with his show in the bar. Even Soujirou-dono admitted he was good with the drinks. He was there to offer his help in the time we needed it most. You had no choice but to accept his offer. You only did what you thought was best, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin consoled her. 

"Well, I've learned my lesson and I've learned it well!" Kaoru's jaw took on that strong, firm look. "I am not hiring anybody without knowing everything there is to know about their past!"

At this, Kenshin caught his breath, blinking with a start. He looked down guiltily on the pavement, wondering if this was another one of his cues to leave. Once people gets suspicious of his past, he takes off as soon as possible, not wanting to get them involved with him that deeply. They would only get hurt. Or killed. 

It was easy liking the people of Nirvana. They were all cheerful and accommodating, always ready to help out. They were more like a family than a business, actually. It even made him stop and think of the possibility of staying. Well, while they need him, that is. He could never remain in one place for long. But none of his other acquaintances made him want to stay as much as they did. 

"So, have you always been a cook, Kenshin?" Kaoru's question brought him out of his musings. 

He sighed before looking up to her soft, inquiring eyes with a rueful smile. "I've been a lot of things I'm not proud of, Kaoru-dono. But cooking for Nirvana is definitely not one of them. It has been one of the best jobs I've ever had."

'He sounds like he's saying goodbye,' Kaoru realized. They could see the restaurant a couple of blocks away. She instinctively reached for the young cook's wrist, stopping their walk. She did not meet Kenshin's questioning violet orbs but she could feel warmth on her cheeks. 

"Stay," she said softly, her brown eyes digging harder on the sidestreet pavement. "We need you, Kenshin."

The redhead remained silent for a moment, not quite knowing what to say. Then he closed his eyes and smiled lightly, placing his other hand on top of Kaoru's hand still on his wrist. "I'll cook until Belldandy-dono shows up."

That wasn't the answer Kaoru had wanted to hear, but it would do. For now. She finally brought her eyes to meet his, and nodded. "Good." They walked the remaining blocks in silence. 

***

Misao pushed open the glass door of their restaurant, her nose instantly picking up the familiar, unwanted scent. 'She's here,' she thought irately, narrowing her eyes as she surveyed the scene. 

She caught her rival's stylish deep black hair and slim but lightly muscular figure, with a blue ribbon tied around her waist, strangely resembling the Nirvana apron. 

'Wait a minute, that IS a Nirvana apron!'

"What are YOU doing in a Nirvana apron?!" Misao burst out, a finger pointing accusingly at the girl. The steady chatter inside was immediately hushed. But she did not bother lowering her voice. In fact, the thought did not even cross her mind. "Wait, is that--is that MY apron?! What are YOU doing in MY APRON?! Give that back to me right now! You're really looking for a fight, are you?! Fine, I'll give it to you--" 

The rest of Misao's threats ended up in a bunch of gibberish as two palms clamped over her mouth at once. Both Kaoru and Megumi laughed nervously as they dragged the snarling piqued girl to the kitchen.

'The girl's so predictable,' Kamatari just chuckled to herself, shaking her head lightly. She turned her attention back to the sheepish boy behind the counter. 'I told you we always get what we want…'

Soujirou winced as Misao's screech filled the entire restaurant. 

"WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING HERE--"

Her protest was cut short, suggesting another round of palms crushing her lips down her front teeth. Soujirou smiled gratefully at Omasu who raised the volume of their sound system more than a couple of notches higher in an attempt to drown Misao's complaints. But being near the kitchen door, he could still hear their conversation.

"--we had no choice, Misao-chan, we had to hire her!"

"They could shut us down in a snap! Besides, we need help--"

"I don't care! She can't work here! I don't think she even KNOWS the definition of work! The only reason she's here is to flirt with Sou-chan!"

"I told her that already--"

"Megumi-san! You're not helping! Look, Misao-chan--"

"I can't believe you even gave her MY apron!"

"Misao-chan, listen to me for a sec! We can't fire her, okay? We just can't. You'll just have to deal with it. She's not gonna stay for long, I'm sure. She'll get tired of chasing after Soujirou-chan and leave. But for now, we could use a couple more extra hands."

"I know it's hard, Misao-chan. I don't like her either but we have to be civil. At least she's more tolerable than her brother."

"Fine then! Kaoru-san, Megumi-san, prepare yourselves." Misao threw open the swinging doors and stepped out of the kitchen, her hands poised on her hips. "This is war!"

"Here's table twelve," Soujirou announced, taking the piece of paper from the tray. 

Two hands sprung up, each holding one end of the tray. Two eyebrows went up, followed by an eye twitch, both identical, both at the exact same moment. 

"Table twelve's mine," Misao told her matter-of-factly under clenched teeth. She tugged the tray towards her.

"I don't think so," Kamatari pulled on the tray just as hard. She gave Misao a hard glare.

Soujirou sighed and scratched the back of his head. "I'm afraid table twelve's Misao-chan's," he told them lightly. "But I think table four also needs your help, Kamatari-san"

"Hai, Sou-kun!" the rich girl let go of the tray all of sudden, upsetting Misao's balance, making her stumble a couple of steps back. She breezed past the enraged girl, giving her a satisfied smirk.

"Why you…" Misao growled, shooting daggers behind Kamatari's back. She straightened up her spine and marched decidedly to table twelve.

After serving, she went back to the counter, catching Kamatari's words. 

"…this event on Thursday evening. I was hoping you could come with me. Are you free Thursday night?"

Before Soujirou could even open his mouth to reply, Misao answered for him. "He can't. Nights are our busiest. Sou-chan's our only bartender." 

Kamatari narrowed her deep blue eyes at her. "I was asking Sou-kun."

"Misao-chan's right, Kamatari-san. I can't just leave Nirvana without a replacement."

The shorter haired girl flashed Soujirou a dazzling grin. "Then we'll leave a replacement. Gensai-san, our butler, is really good with drinks. I'm sure he'll do. Please, Sou-kun? It'll be fun. Besides, don't you have a day off, or something? They're making you work so hard, you deserve some break."

"Sou-chan loves his work," Misao told her gratingly. 

"I'm sure he does," Kamatari returned evenly. "But Sou-kun's been spending too much time copped up in here, he needs some air too. Besides, it's just one night. Don't YOU think he deserves some fun? I mean, you're his FRIEND. You ought to know that."

"If he wants to take the night off, it's his choice," Misao huffed. "But we are not working him over his limit. Sou-chan enjoys working here."

The two girls broke off their scowling contest long enough to look expectantly at the smiling boy. "Well?"

"I'll think about it," Soujirou said finally. 

"Great!"

"Fine!"

The two gave each other another glare before marching off in opposite directions. Soujirou sighed. 

***

Aoshi drew to a halt. His frost blue eyes traveled to the familiar back door. He could feel the cold metal on his skin despite the dark blue polo shirt covering his upper body. 

He found him. 

After all those years of searching, he finally found him. He could feel the excitement in every inch of his body. His heart was beating steadily, his mind was clear. It was dark in the alleyway, but his vision was sharp. He was in perfect condition.

It was time.

Aoshi was certain Battousai knew exactly where he was. That Battousai knew exactly what was about to happen. He wouldn't run away, of course. He was going to face him, Shinomori Aoshi. Just like they were supposed to, ten years ago. 

His hand brushed his trench coat lightly away, revealing a shiny, silver pistol tucked under his pants. He allowed his fingers to run across its cold, smooth surface before drawing it out of its hiding. He pulled the slide in preparation before allowing his arm to hang loosely at his side. 

Finally, the back door opened, revealing a man with blazing red hair and a cross scar on his cheek. Thick fiery bangs covered his eyes, but Aoshi knew he recognized him. 

"I've been waiting for this, Battousai," the taller man started, his voice cold and smooth, his eyes taking on an intense shade of blue. 

"Shinomori Aoshi," Kenshin breathed, finally revealing his indigo irises underneath his long blood red bangs. His arms reflexively reached out and caught the object hurled suddenly at him. It was a silver pistol, similar to the one Aoshi was holding.

"I don't fight with a man without a weapon."

"Would killing me erase that hatred in your heart, Shinomori Aoshi?" Kenshin placed the gun down on the garbage bin next to him. 

The tall man raised his weapon and aimed it straight at Kenshin's chest. "I wouldn't know unless I tried." His finger curled lightly around the trigger. 

"I killed them," Kenshin stepped towards Aoshi. "I know it doesn't matter to you now, but I'm sorry. I didn't realize what I had been doing. My death could never bring them back, but if it could somehow bring YOU back then do it. Pull the trigger."

"You think I'll let you go that easily?" Aoshi retorted. But he pulled the trigger anyway. He knew it would only brush Battousai's shirt, but he intended it only as a warning. 

The bullet whooshed past Kenshin's right shoulder and hit the garbage bin. Blood spurted out of the cook's shoulder blade. 

A sound of glasses shattering to the ground startled both men. They turned to see an ashen-faced Misao whose shaking hands sent the newly-purchased six-packed beers seeping in the road. Her wide aquamarine eyes were like bullets through his chest. This was not part of the plan.

Misao brought a trembling hand to cover her hanging jaw. Events of her childhood passed before her eyes, scenes she thought she had buried in the deepest parts of her memories. It all came surging back, flooding her brain with echoes of voices.

__

"Only fifteen years old, already a murderer…"

"…he killed the man who brought him up…"

"…the Okashira trusted him, even naming him the next-in-line, but what did he do?"

"…he killed him…"

"…he killed him…"

"…he killed him…"

Misao shook her head, slowly at first, then faster. "No…no…" She looked up at the man she loved, tears streaming down her cheeks. 

"How could you…" she whispered. Then her eyes turned hard. "Were you…were you the one who killed my father?"

Her question completely snapped Aoshi out of the cold wall he had carefully built around him. He was about to answer when Misao's voice rang out, clear and strong.

"I hate you!" she sobbed, her lips quivering. 

Her head was filled with unwanted memories. Her ears were ringing with echoes from her past. She did not want to believe what she had just seen. It was all so fast…so blurry… She could feel herself choke. She needed air. She had to get out of the alley.

She swiveled around, running as fast as she could. Tears fogged her vision. She could not see where she was heading but she did not care. She just wanted all of it to stop. The voices. The faces. The gun in Aoshi's hand. 

She was out of the alley but she did not know it. She continued to run, her eyes shut tight, straight towards the street. The last thing she heard was the screeching of the tires.

Then everything went black.

********************************************************************************************************************TBC

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Author's Notes: Warning: this chap was not proofread. I'm running really late and I still have lots of stuff to do so I'm really, really sorry if this is another..er…bad chapter. I've been busy all this week, plus my prelims are up next week and I had another fight with my mom so my brain is practically a useless piece of junk right now. ^^; Anyways, thank you so much for all your suggestions in the last chap, I'm so grateful!!! Please feel free to tell me anything you want--suggestions, comments, votes, etc. Review please!!!

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kaOru-no-taNuki: It was really part of my plan to put Kamatari in Nirvana to, of course, make Misao jealous. I hope you like this chap! I'll keep your suggestion in mind, and if you have any more, you know what to do, right? ^_^ A/M vote in!

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mystasia: Thank you so much! ^_^ And that's another A/M vote in!

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liemtenshi: hehe. Another A/M vote in!

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^_^: Hey, thanks! And yes, they *do* compliment each other! S/M vote for you!

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Allise: Arigatou. Your S/M vote's in!

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Ru: Am continuing! Another S/M vote in. Thanks!

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sweetdreamer: Here's another chap! Thanks!

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regina-terrae: Hope this satisfies your thirst for 'other characters'! And, yep, Aoshi's really cold. I'm planning on making him suffer sometime next chap…watch out for it! ^_^

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Gee-YouKnit: Yes, yes, I know! Here's more Kamatari/Sou/Misao interaction!

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Kara: Am continuing! And that's another S/M vote in

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Katsuyumi/Jade/Sam: Thanks! Another S/M vote in!

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Luli451: Thank you! About you keeping Aoshi in the end…I'll think about it… ^^

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Chaos: That was one review I wouldn't forget! Thanks so much for all your insights and suggestions! You've given me some new ideas and pointers to make my fic more interesting. About your question, well, technically, I honor only one vote per chapter. If you really want all six votes to count, you'll have to review each chap. It's up to you if you want to go through all that. Once again, domo arigatou gozaimasu for such a heart-warming and thought-provoking review! Hope you liked this chap!

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Amie: Thanks! And that's another S/M vote in!

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marieL: One last A/M vote for this chap! Hope you're still reading this!

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Tally of Votes: (from first chap to the fifth)** A/M =** 17; **S/M =** 30. (A/M fans, start voting some more! ^_^)

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Advertisement: (Is this too cocky? ^^;) To those S/M fans in search of other fics with this pairing, why don't you try out A. Pikachu's _Behind A Smile_. There's some bit of A/M in there too, but be warned, Aoshi's a kinda OOC. I think the story's nearing its end but it's a cool read anyways, so try it sometime, ne? ^_^ (There you go, A. Pikachu! Hope you're reading this! *.*)

A/M or S/M? Comments and suggestions? Please review!!!


	7. Chapter Seven

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For Her Smile

By: sophomoric genius

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Disclaimer: I do not own RK. All of them are copyright their respective creators. Any similarities with other fics are purely coincidental unless stated otherwise.

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Author's Note: I've always loved the Aoshi/Misao/Soujirou triangle and although there are already tons of fics with this kind of pairing, I decided to add another one. ^_^ This fic is inspired by all the A/M, S/M and A/M/S fics that I've had the privilege to read. I hope this does not have too many similarities to those fics, and if there is and you don't like it, kindly say so in your review. *_* This is an Alternate Universe, set in our time (meaning NOW). Hope you like it! Enjoy reading and please review!! XD

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A/N P.S.: In this AU, Kamatari is a completely genuine GIRL. o.O; Read on and find out. :)

Chapter Seven

He could feel his heart contract sharply against his chest. He wanted to run after her, to look straight into her soulful aquamarine eyes and tell her the truth.

He did NOT kill her father.

That was the truth. He yearned to hold her in his arms and comfort her. To make her believe him, just like when she was young. To make her trust him again. To make her love him again. 

But he knew it was too late. The damage was done. There wasn't anything he could do. Misao saw him pull the trigger with her very eyes. She would know him permanently as Aoshi, the murderer. Well, that was who he was anyway. But knowing she would forever despise him for a crime he did not commit, it was enough to drive him wild.

And with his sworn enemy right in front of him, he knew exactly how to channel his anger. He would finish Battousai with his own hands. That was his oath. It's not going to change just because of a girl.

"Am I worth it?" Kenshin asked quietly, as if reading his mind. "Am I worth loosing her?"

Aoshi turned to face him, his usually cold yet calm deep blue eyes now ablaze with rage. "Shut up!" He raised his right hand and moved swiftly, ready to give the cook a powerful blow in the skull. But he stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of tires screeching and a car horn blowing loudly. It came from the direction where Misao took off just moments ago.

He did not even get the chance to think. Her beautiful, smiling face flashed sharply, painfully in his mind and his legs moved under him instantly. Realization washed over him like a wave of ice cold water. 

'I can't loose her.'

***

Sagara Sanosuke tightened his grip on the steering wheel of his resplendent black Jaguar convertible. Even without looking at them, he knew heads turn to gawk at the sleek ride and its arrogant driver. He used to enjoy the attention; in fact he thrived in it, even giving some girls a sexy grin if he felt generous enough. But tonight, the usual careless, playful expression in his handsome face was replaced by a perplexed, undecided look. 

He was supposed to pick up Kamatari in Nirvana about thirty minutes ago, but somehow, he couldn't get himself out of the car. Everytime he nears the bar, all he could think of was her long, midnight black hair and flashing hazel eyes. She had made his blood boil the first time he met her, but now, the memory of her biting tone only made his pulse race. 

"Damn Kamatari," Sano muttered, blaming his stepsister for the dilemma he was now facing. He turned on his blinker, signaling a right turn to the street he had been driving past for about the twentieth time. "Why does she have to work at the place? And why should **I** be the one to pick her up?!"

He removed his left foot from the clutch and stepped lightly on the gas pedal, his eyes automatically glued to Nirvana's bright neon lights. He slowly passed the bar, his right foot still trying to decide whether to press the brake or keep on the gas. Sanosuke craned his neck and squinted as he desperately tried to catch at least a glimpse of her. Kamatari told him her name was Megumi. She generally takes the evening shifts because she was still in her second year of her med proper. But sometimes, she takes on an earlier period to study for exams. 

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he closed his eyes and shook his head lightly. He, Sagara Sanosuke was wasting gas and time circling the pub, not having enough courage to set a foot out of his car because of a girl who shamelessly blamed him for breaking glasses. If she was only a man, he could've broke her nose and deformed her face in seconds. But because she was Kiritani Megumi, he was instead driven to his wits end, turning into the cowardly chicken nobody knew he was. 

He gunned the engine, firmly resolving that that was the last time he was passing Nirvana. He would turn around, find a parking space, get in that damned place, find Megumi and…

A girl appeared out of nowhere, running right in front of him.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" 

Sanosuke almost stood at the brake pedal as a loud 'thump' came from the hood of his car and the vehicle jolted to a stop. The white air bag instantaneously filled the space between him and the steering wheel, trapping him inside and blocking his vision of the girl. He punched the bag, trying to deflate it, his eyes wide and his muscles shaking. He didn't…kill her, did he?

"Shit!" he hissed, wrestling with the half-empty air bag. He opened the door and stumbled out, freezing at the sight of red blood mixing with the girl's black hair, her long braid inches from his tires. 

He ran a trembling hand through his hair. "Oh my god…" he ran back to his car and grabbed his celphone. "Who should I call? I don't know any hospital's number! What the hell am I supposed to do?!" 

"Misao!" 

Sanosuke turned and saw a tall, lean man rush towards them. He dropped to his knees, and immediately took her hand, his fingers frantically searching for a pulse. 

"She just appeared out of nowhere!" Sano tried to explain, waving his hands. "She just jumped right in front of me! The light was green--"

"Her pulse is weak," Aoshi interrupted brusquely, his right hand gently going around the girl's pale neck, placing her heavy, unconscious body on his right knee, supporting her weight. "Open the back door then get back in and drive straight to Ishizuka General Hospital." His left arm went around Misao's knees, his right holding her firmly on the far shoulder, keeping her neck and head cradled on his upper arm. He stood up unflinchingly, carrying the young waitress in his arms as if he was carrying nothing more than a feather. 

Sano hurried to the backside of his car and opened the door, assisting the two inside. "Are you sure it's okay to move her? She could be injured--"

"She IS injured. Now shut up and drive!" 

The younger boy was not used to receiving orders from anybody, but realizing that this was not the time to argue, he wordlessly went back to the driver's seat and started for the nearest hospital.

***

"Omigosh is that Misao-chan?!" Kaoru gasped as she watched Aoshi load Misao's limp, benumbed body inside the luxury vehicle. She was about to run right towards them when a hand clamped on her shoulder. She turned to face Kenshin's sympathetic indigo eyes. 

"Kenshin? What are you doing? I have to see Misao-chan! Is she alright? What happened?" she watched the black Jaguar drive away. 

"Everything will be alright, Kaoru-dono. I'm sure Shinomori Aoshi wouldn't let anything happen to her. They're heading to Ishizuka General Hospital right now."

"Kenshin, Misao's BLEEDING. What happened?! She's unconscious. Is she still alive? Is she breathing? Will she reach the hospital in time? I have to know!" Kaoru raised her hand and hailed a taxi. 

"But you can't just leave Nirvana, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin tried to reason with her mildly. "They need you here too. You're the manager. You have to keep everything in order. If you leave now, they would all wonder what happened to both you and Misao-dono. Besides, isn't Soujirou-dono waiting for those beers? Wasn't that why you came looking for Misao-dono?"

Kaoru looked doubtfully from Kenshin to the taxi now waiting for her in the curb, then back at the cook again. "But I can't leave Misao-chan either. Not now that I know she's hurt."

"How about this, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin tried to soothe her. "I could go and watch over Misao-dono at the hospital until you could go there yourselves. I'll call once there's news, is that okay with you?"

Kaoru looked at the full bar, then to the taxi then back to Kenshin. "Okay," she nodded hesitantly. "But promise me you'll call the moment you learn something, whether it's good or bad news, okay? You have to promise!"

Kenshin smiled in assurance. "Promise." He opened the door of the cab but remained outside to watch the manageress walk back to the club.

"And you're gonna tell me EVERYTHING once I get there. Everything!" Kaoru shook her fist at him before running back inside.

Kenshin's smile turned rueful the moment she went in. "Gomen nasai, Kaoru-dono." 

He slipped inside the taxi and closed the door.

***

Aoshi was out of the car the moment it stopped in front of the Emergency Room of Ishizuka General Hospital. He went straight inside the glass doors and towards the nearest vacant bed he saw. A nurse immediately approached him, asking him what happened. After replying flatly that Misao got hit by a car, the nurse handed him a clipboard to fill up and led him to the waiting area. 

Sano, meanwhile, was left to park his Jaguar. When he finally went inside the ER, he paused by the doorway and gulped. He has never been in the Emergency Room before, and needless to say, he was flustered. There were all sorts of people. An old woman wearing an incredible amount of gold on her neck was sitting on a wheel chair on one corner. There was a middle-aged, balding man wheezing and shaking his nebulizer furiously. A pregnant woman was practicing her breathing exercises with her husband. A little girl wearing her pajamas was crying while the nurse took her temperature. 

"Excuse me, sir!" an urgent voice made Sano turn around and shuffle away. Several paramedics were supporting a teen-aged boy, his shirt almost drenched with blood. 

"What happened?" a male nurse called out from behind him, making him step away to another direction. 

"Knifing incident," one of the paramedics replied. "There are several incisions on his abdominal area. I think maybe parts of his internal organs are damaged."

"Sir, it would be best if you would step over to the waiting area over there," a female voice told Sano, motioning to the row of seats on one side of the room. 

"Thanks," he mumbled, his head spinning with all the commotion. Then his celphone suddenly rang, adding to his confusion. 

"Where the hell are you?!" Kamatari's irritated voice filled his ears even before he had the chance to say 'hello'. "You were supposed to pick me up, remember? It's not my fault you crashed MY car and the least you could do is pick me up--"

"I'm in the hospital," he told her wearily. "I accidentally ran over somebody."

A pause. Then her loud laughter almost broke his eardrums. "It's a real wonder how you passed the driving test, stepbrother! I can't believe you actually ran over somebody! They really ought to lock you up in jail and suspend your…"

"Oh, for Pete's sake, will shut up!" 

"What…"

"I said shut up!"

"No, not you!" Kamatari's voice became muffled, but Sano could still hear her. "Who? Misao? Wait, you mean Sano…" She went back on the phone, her voice shattering what was left of his eardrums. "YOU RAN OVER MISAO?! Wait, how is she? Is she…"

"I don't know. I don't know where she is."

"You don't know?! What do you mean you don't know?!"

Sano scratched his head in frustration. "I mean I don't know! I had to park my car and when I went back in the ER, I couldn't see her anywhere." Then his eyes caught the unmistakable white trench coat of the man who helped him. "Wait, I think I see her…" He started to make his way towards them when a nurse interrupted him.

"Sir, I'm afraid cellphones are not allowed inside the hospital premises. You could continue your call outside or turn off your phone, please."

"Okay, okay, I've got to go," Sano nodded, now seeing the girl lying on the bed, which was being moved out of the room. He turned off his phone and followed the man in the white trench coat.

***

"Wait! Ooh, damn!" Kamatari cursed as she pressed the 'end call' button of her phone. She looked at the expectant face of her co-workers. 

"What?" Megumi demanded. "What happened? How is she?"

"I don't know, he hung up." She looked at Soujirou whose face looked as calm as ever. "Are you alright, Sou-kun?"

"Aa. I'm sure Misao-chan's okay. She's strong. Demo, Kaoru-san, why didn't you tell us what really happened?"

"I don't know much either. Kenshin's supposed to call and tell me what happened! Anyway, I'll tell you all what I know in the car. Come on, let's finish closing so we could go!"

***

"She's stable for now. She's lost a lot of blood but it's a good thing you brought her here right away and we managed to get it all under control. A few more minutes, and it would have been fatal. Actually, she's not completely out of danger yet. We'll need to keep her here for twenty-four hours and observe her. There is a concussion on her skull other than the open wound on her forehead. We have to wait and see if there is also internal bleeding in her brain. I suppose you'll be the one accompanying her through the night?"

Aoshi nodded. He wasn't sure how long he would stay once the others came, but as long as Misao needed him, he's going to be there for her.

"Please notify us immediately if she vomits or feels like vomiting. It would mean that there is an internal wound and we'll have to take the necessary actions. She is under anesthesia right now, but there'll be times when she'll regain consciousness. You could call the nurse station if you need anything…"

"Thank you." 

The doctor smiled and nodded before walking out of the room. Aoshi walked closer to the bed. Misao's face looked so pale and white under her thick, black bangs. Blood was lightly seeping through the gauze wrapped around her forehead. There were scratches and bruises along her ashen cheeks. Dried blood caked around her thin lips. Her lids covered her aquamarine eyes--the very same eyes that filled with tears, fogging her vision, which caused her to run straight into the road with out noticing. 

Yes, this was all his fault. He almost killed her.

He felt his heart stop moving under his chest. He took deep, long breaths, trying to steady his nerves, but his body would not cooperate. Every inch of his muscles is shaking. With rage. With fear. Fear of loosing her. Loosing the only person that mattered.

'Am I worth it? Am I worth loosing her?' 

Battousai's voice resonated in his brain. He ran a hand through his long ebony locks. 

"What have I done?" he whispered. He balled his hands on his sides. "What have I done?"

The door flew open and Kaoru, Megumi and Kamatari all rushed in.

"What happened?!"

"Misao-chan! Is she alright?"

"Sano, you are really in deep trouble this time!"

Aoshi's deep blue eyes remained on Misao's sleeping face while her friends crowded around her bed.

"Shinomori-san, did the doctor tell you anything?" Soujirou stopped beside the tall man. His brown eyes went to Misao's face then back to Aoshi's.

"She's stable but they need to observe her for a few hours."

"She's waking up!" Kamatari cried.

Misao forehead wrinkled as she tried to open her eyes. She felt so weak. Light instantly flooded through her eyes the moment she finally lifted her lids. It was so bright. She blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the light. She could hear voices beside her, but she could not understand them. She continued to blink. She turned her head lightly to her right. She could vaguely see an outline of a face surrounded by thick black hair. But she could not make out the face. She continued to blink, trying the clear her vision. But she still couldn't recognize him. She moved her eyes towards the person beside the first man. A smile instantly formed on her lips as she tried to raise her hand towards him.

"Sou-chan…" she murmured, reaching out her right hand. "You're here…"

********************************************************************************************************************TBC

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Author's Notes: I am so very sorry for the very late update. Ff.n was down last weekend so I wasn't able to update. Not that I had anything to upload then, I just finished this chap just now. I wouldn't be able to proof read this one either and I'm uploading this the moment I finish typing this A/N so please forgive me if there are several typos or grammatical errors. The past two weeks was hell for me with tons of projects and reports and oral presentations plus there were prelims. I didn't quite know what to do with myself, and right now, I'm late for an appointment, my friend has been calling my cellphone for the past thirty minutes and I really have to go. I'll try to reply to your reviews next time, okay? I'm really really sorry! Anyways, hope you guys like this one even though it's kinda rushed. Thanks for reading and please review!!!! 


	8. Chapter Eight

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For Her Smile

By: sophomoric genius

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Disclaimer: I do not own RK or Gojyo. All of them are copyright their respective creators. Any similarities with other fics are purely coincidental unless stated otherwise.

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Author's Note: In this AU, Kamatari is a completely genuine GIRL. o.O; Read on and find out. :)

Chapter Eight

Her lids moved a bit easier now under eyes. Again, it took a few seconds for her vision to clear. She could feel fingers caressing her hand gently. Misao rolled her eyes to her right, her lips curving lightly at the sight of him.

"Hey," Seta Soujirou greeted softly. His chocolate brown eyes held both concern and relief at the same time. 

"Hey," she answered back, noticing for the first time that her throat was dry. She tried to swallow a couple of times, exhausting a lot more effort than she normally should have.

"How are you feeling?" the chestnut haired boy asked with a quiet smile. 

"Awful," she replied, wrinkling her nose. "And thirsty. Do you have water?"

Worry instantly lined the boy's forehead. The nurse dropped by earlier and warned them never to give Misao anything by the mouth. She also told them that they are monitoring Misao for any signs of internal bleeding, one symptom of which is thirst. 

"Sou-chan," Misao called out, a bit more urgently. "I need water. I'm parched."

"Gomen ne, Misao-chan," Soujirou told her with a closed-lid, sympathetic smile. "We're not supposed to give you anything, including water. Doctor's orders."

"Ee?! I'm dying of thirst here!" the girl complained, her head turning weakly to the door that opened at that moment.

"You ARE gonna die if we give you water, Misao-chan!" an aged male voice scolded her. "Stop whining and take it like the pretty little ninja that you are!"

"Okina-san," Soujirou looked at Misao's grandfather, surprise written plainly in his face. "How are you feeling?"

Megumi and Kaoru, both carrying coffees, followed in after Okina, whispering to each other.

"I'll bet he's been exaggerating his fracture pains just so he could spend more time flirting with the nurses," Megumi told the manageress conspiratorially.

Kaoru rolled her eyes with a smile. "Well, you know Okina, our resident dirty old man."

"My pain is nothing compared to the pain my dearest granddaughter must be feeling right now," the old man's gray eyes turned glassy as he approached Misao's bed. He closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, then opened them again. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING RUNNING OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET LIKE THAT?! WERE YOU REALLY TRYING TO KILL YOURSELF?!" 

Misao winced at her grandfather's words. She had temporarily forgotten why she was in the hospital bed in the first place. Okina's outburst suddenly brought it all back. Scenes flashed back in her head. Pictures of Aoshi holding a gun. Of Aoshi pulling the trigger. Of Aoshi's smitten look when she accused him of killing her father. 

Her hand shot out of Soujirou's hold, grabbing her bandaged head tightly. She shut her eyes, willing images to disappear from her mind. She could feel her head throbbing from under her palms, her breath coming in short gasps. 

"Misao-chan!" 

She could hear startled voices calling her name, anxiety quickly filling the room. The figures in her head slowly dissolved into blackness as she desperately tried to calm herself. 

"I'm fine," she breathed, giving her friends a weak smile. "It's okay."

"Do you want some water?" Kaoru asked, still in panic.

"We can't give her water, idiot," Megumi rushed beside her bed and laid a hand on Misao's shoulders. "Take deep breaths…that's it…now lie back…don't think of anything, just relax…"

Misao's respiration finally returning to normal, she turned her head to face her grandfather. Okina's forehead was slightly wrinkled, alarm and uneasiness evident in his gray eyes. What came out of Misao's lips next were words that confirmed his suspicion. The moment he had been dreading has come. There was no way he could dodge it again now.

"The truth, jiya," Misao's voice was hoarse but hard. Her azure eyes bore into his gray ones, giving him a look that reminded Okina of her mother. "Tell me the truth. All of it." A pause. "What is the Oniwabanshuu?"

Expecting her request was of the sort, Okina was not taken aback. He stared evenly back at her, his face strong but unreadable. "Very well," he nodded, taking a seat on the chair next to her bed. "I'll tell you everything. I guarantee you this is not a fairy story but the cold, harsh reality of the past. It will surely do nothing to make you feel any better, on the contrary, it would probably give you the worst shock of your life. Do you still wish me to continue?"

"Yes." 

Misao took in a deep breath, bracing herself for the truth. 

But there was no preparing for what came next.

***

Aoshi sat quietly on the hospital lobby. His frost blue eyes were staring blankly at his palms as the single act played inside his mind over and over again.

He was right there beside her. He was the one who carried her to the Emergency Room. He was the one who paced around the waiting area keeping her black strappy sandals in sight. He was right there. Why didn't she reach out for **_him_**? 

Another earlier scene flashed in his head. 

That's right. She hates him now. She thinks he killed her father. 

He balled his hands tightly into fists. 

Battousai was supposed to be his last kill. After him, everything should be alright. Aoshi's life would be back in order. Aoshi would have a normal life again. Why did she have to witness his supposedly greatest triumph? Why did she have to go and jumble up the already-straightening strands of his life? Just when he thought it was all finally going to end, she just had to complicate the situation. 

Now, he had not only allowed Battousai to slip through his fingers, he also almost lost her too.

Who was he kidding? He already lost her. He lost her when he did nothing but stare at her when she had told him she loved him. He lost her when he turned his back on her instead of asking what was wrong that night on the bar. He lost her when he pulled the trigger.

She wouldn't want anything to do with him now. That incident earlier is evidence enough. And without her, he's nothing but a huge chunk of ice block, breathing in oxygen just because it is an involuntary action of his muscles.

Why does she have to matter that much? 

"Because you love her, you idiot," a cool voice sliced through his thoughts. A red-haired, red-eyed man stepped behind the lobby couch. "I kept on telling you but you wouldn't listen. You insisted to have it your own way, now look at where it took you."

Aoshi remained still, glaring at the fingernails digging through his palms. 

"But it's not too late. Not yet. In my opinion, that is. You have to learn to be honest and true to yourself, Okashira-sama. You're made up of flesh and bones, not some marble slab. Tell her how you feel. It's not certified to give you perfect redemption, but it could at least buy you a wee bit of leniency." 

Gojyo turned around and paused before walking away. "Stop hurting the poor weasel-girl. She deserves so much more in my opinion. It is very unfortunate that she's got her eyes set only on you or else she could've saved herself from all these pain. But I guess Fate has such a wicked sense of humor."

Does he really love her? Is he even capable of loving anybody?

Aoshi drew in a sharp breath. 

He has been avoiding the question for years. But now, it presented itself once again to him, this time with much more urgency. He needs her. He only realized it now, but he has been feeling it for years. He simply can't loose her. He loves her. He always had.

'One more chance,' he vowed silently. 'Just give me one more chance. I swear, I'll make things right this time.'

***

"No…" Misao whispered, her green-blue eyes staring blankly at the old man. The plain white top sheet of the hospital bed crumpled under her fingers, her knuckles turning the same color. "That's not true…it can't be…"

"I tried my best to keep it from you," Okina closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. "But I guess I always knew a time like this will inevitably come. It always does." He opened his eyes and looked at his granddaughter. "Your father fought for what he thought was right. He did what he had to for his men. He did it for you."

"For me?" Tears were quickly filling up her eyes but she held them back. Her anger held them back. "He killed people for me? Please don't say that, Jiya. It makes me sick."

"Those were not innocent lives, Misao-chan. They were people that could've killed millions of people all over Japan. The real innocent ones. He had to do it to help the government."

"He's nothing but a doll--a marionette controlled by the rich politicians. An assassin is an assassin, Jiya, no matter how you look at it. YOU were the one who taught me that."

"I know how you are feeling, Misao-chan. It was MY father who agreed to make the Oniwabanshuu an assassin group. That was why I left. Instead of fighting for what I thought was right, I ran away. But your father was the one who stood up. He was the one who tried to bargain with the government. He tried to free the Oniwabanshuu of the blood. He wanted the bloodshed to stop with him."

"But it didn't. Aoshi-sama…" Her voice broke and she had to close her eyes to control her tears.

"Your father died before his last task was completed. It was Aoshi who tried to do it for him and freed the other members of their contract. But not everything went as planned, and now, Aoshi is just trying to settle an unfinished business from the past. That is all."

"He killed my father."

Okina's brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed. "Who told you that?"

"Nobody." Misao shook her head, cradling her bandaged forehead with her hand. "I remember people talking about it during otousan's funeral."

"Aoshi wasn't the one who killed him." Okina's voice was strong and stern. 

Misao looked at the old man, her eyes pleading and desperate. "Then who did, Jiya?"

His lids covered his eyes as he took in a deep breath. Okina remained silent for several minutes, until the door finally opened and a nurse stepped in.

"Gomen ne, but visiting hours are over. The patient needs rest right now."

Okina finally turned to face Misao, whose sad, injured eyes stared emptily at the closed window blinds. He stood up and was about to head for the door when he stopped.

"I was also the one who told you not to judge other people solely by their actions. It's what's in their hearts that truly matter."

***

Her sneakers squeaked as she stepped on a puddle. She had just gotten out of the hospital and Omasu would surely have a fit once she finds out Misao had sneaked out of the house. But she has spent two days locked up inside the four corners of her private room in Ishizuka General Hospital and she couldn't stand another day inside. 

It was about nine in the evening. The rain that poured heavily earlier that afternoon has just stopped, leaving the streets feeling damp and cold. But that was not really the reason Misao pulled her black leather jacket closer to her body. 

Ever since that night in the hospital, she had isolated herself from her friends. She would often pretend to be asleep whenever they were around. She did not know why but she just couldn't bear to face them. Okina asked them to step out of the room before he told her everything; they don't know anything. She was not about to tell them either. Misao had never felt so alone in her entire life. And she hated it.

She wanted to pour out all her anger, all the feelings she's been trying to bottle inside her. But there was no one she could run to now. Not even Soujirou. 

Her feet unconsciously drew to a halt in front of a lamppost. She sighed, looking up from the pavement she had been staring ever since she went out for a walk.

Shinomori Aoshi stood a few feet in front of her.

She felt her heart contract sharply from her ribcage. All sorts of emotions surged inside her. She was about to break down and she knew it. Misao took her eyes away from his handsome face and lowered it with an effort. She turned around and was about to walk away when he spoke.

"I did not kill your father." His voice was soft and hard at the same time. He stepped closer towards her. "My hands may be stained with blood, but it isn't your father's. You have to believe me."

Misao shook her head, her brows frowning. "I don't know what to believe anymore."

The tall man stopped a few steps away from her back. "Believe in this." 

He closed the gap between them in a couple of steps. His hands went around her small waist as he held her close against him. The top of her head barely touched his chin, but he lowered his head and rested his forehead against her soft black hair. He closed his eyes tightly, loving the feel of her warmth in his arms. Oh, how he had longed to hold her like this! 

His voice was barely audible, quiet yet bursting with emotions, that he didn't even recognize it himself. 

"Please don't leave me. I need you. Come back to me, Misao."

***********************************************************************************************************************TBC

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Author's Notes: Aoshi's OOC in this one, isn't he? ^_^; I'm gonna have to apologize in advance because I won't be putting up the next chapter next weekend. I won't be home then; I'll be spending the weekend in my friend's place. We'll be having a sort of combined post-birthday party with a bunch of our friends. I'm really excited about it, but don't worry, once I get home, I promise to turn on the PC, do the ninth chap and upload it the moment I'm done. I'm so grateful to all of you who read and reviewed! Even though I've been so stressed with all the schoolwork, you guys never fail to bring a smile to my face whenever I read your reviews. I'm so glad you like this fic, and I hope I made you smile too, one way or the other, through this fic. ^_^ Anyways, on to the story. Spoiler: yep, it's about to take on an A/M turn! (Finally! Sorry to all those A/M fans who waited so long for this…it's coming soon! o.O) BTW, please tell me if you're still confused with all those Oniwabanshuu stuff. I intentionally cut the part where Okina was narrating the past to Misao, hoping you guys would still get the story. If you didn't, please say so and I'll try my best to straighten things out. ^_~ So, what do you think? Any other suggestions or ideas? Please review!! :)

BTW, I'm sorry I didn't have time to respond to you guys last chap so I'm including you this chap! Thanks for all your reviews! ^________^

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mystasia: I'm back now! ^_^ Glad you liked the cliffhanger! A/M vote in! Thanks!

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Chaos Angel: Thanks! Your S/M vote's in!

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kaOru-no-taNuki: Arigatou gozaimasu!!! ^_^ I used your 'dirty-old-man' idea in this chap, did you see it? *_* And yes, Aoshi did feel that twinge of jealousy! More A/M to come! 

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marieL: That's an A/M vote in! Just keep on reading, the A/M fluff is coming soon! ^_^

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zhakeena: Yeah, Aoshi got the message alright! 0_0 Your vote? You didn't tell me. :)

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Jade: Am continuing! S/M vote in! Thanks! :P

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Rook: S/M, check! ^_^ Hope you like this chap!

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Bored: I'm glad my fic kept you entertained even for a while! Thanks for leaving a review! And that's a S/M vote in!

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Dragona 2007: S/M vote in! ^_^ Am updating!

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Kara: Thank you! Two more S/M votes in! And yeah, Sou's the only who hasn't hurt her, but it is said that love is so much sweeter after the all the pain… (where I got that, I have no idea! ^_^;;)

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paula: An S/M fan I gather? :) Your vote's in!

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^_^: Yes, A/M is very much possible since it wasn't really Aoshi who killed her father. In fact, the A/M waff is about to begin! S/M vote for you!

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Seis: Two S/M votes in(6th and 7th chaps)! I'm glad you liked that part! There'll be more A/M in the next chap…let's see if it could change your mind… ;P

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liemtenshi: I'd say you're quite contradictory! First, you vote for A/M then request for more S/M interaction?? I guess you're just like me: you love both pairings, don't you? ^_^ Anyways, that was two votes in, for chaps 6&7. Hm, I'm not sure about the S/M thing but there'll be more A/M in the next chap. Hope that alright with you.

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Katsuyumi/Jade/Sam: Thanks to…er…the three of you! ^_^;; Actually, I'm a bit confused whether to count that an A/M or S/M vote…I wonder who Katsuyumi likes anyways… o.O

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Ru: Thanks for the compliment! ^_^ I'm so glad you liked that scene! And, yep, that's another couple of S/M votes in!

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Diehamtaro: You think Aoshi's OOC? Hm…maybe because I'm picturing him not as the emotionless stick of wood he is in the series or even manga, but just someone who keeps all his feelings deep inside himself and very well hidden. What do you think? About Kaoru's eyes being brown…*grins sheepishly* I really don't know why I changed her eye color…I was thinking of changing something from the usual anime character and while I was describing Kaoru's eyes, I just typed brown…and I guess I just sticked to it. Hope it doesn't bother you that much! ^_^;; Thanks for your review and if you have any more questions about my weird writing style (I just type whatever comes to my mind, just like what I did with Kaoru's eyes), just ask me in your review, ne? Thanks!

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Amie: Glad you enjoyed it! That's two S/M votes in (for the past 2 chaps)! And, yeah, I hope my schedule fixes itself soon too! Midterms are coming! Noooo! T_T;

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Luna ANgel: Thanks! Am continuing! ^_^

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Deathblade: And here's the update! Hope you like this one! S/M vote in!

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mady: *grins from ear to ear* Thanks so much! 

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CurlsofSerenity: Yep, it sure shook Aoshi up! I think I'll be counting that one as S/M… ^_^;

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Squirrel: Thanks! Your vote's in! Hope you like this one too!

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Ayuka: You're right, Sou could've beaten all those bullies back in chap 3, but I wanted to portray him as someone who'd rather get hurt than hurt other people…ow, Sou-chan you're so sweet! *smothers chibi Sou* Hm, you seem to hate Kamatari, huh. Well, I initially threw in Kamatari just to make Misao jelous, but now that she's here, I'm not sure how she'll end up with Sou… *cackles evilly* You'll just have to read on and find out! :) Anyway, you've got two votes in! (You didn't vote in your review in chap 4) ^_^

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Yumi/Kaoru/Sam/Rin/Angelus: Tsk, tsk. Megumi told him to use his eyes in an earlier chap, but the baka just wouldn't listen! ^_^ Er…you didn't leave a vote…A/M or S/M?

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Tally of Votes: A/M = 23; **S/M** = 51

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Advertisement: (I hope this doesn't bother anyone… n_n;;) I have to admit that I've been sorta leaning on the S/M pairing in the first chaps of this fics, but when I read the last two chaps of **_Ice and Chaos_** by _Akari Sennyami_, I instantly longed for more A/M! The fic's really cool, the writing's great, the plot's pretty original too. I think this one's far from ending yet and I'm glad. It's really nice, check it out sometime, ne? It's of an A/M pairing, but Sou's there too, although he hasn't appeared that much yet. (Akari Sennyami-san doesn't know I'm advertising her fic here, and I sure hope she won't get mad at me for doing so… ^_^;)

There you go! Thank you so much for reading and please don't forget to leave a review!!! Thanks!! ^_^


	9. Chapter Nine

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For Her Smile

By: sophomoric genius

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Disclaimer: I do not own RK. All of them are copyright their respective creators. Any similarities with other fics are purely coincidental unless stated otherwise.

****

Author's Note: In this AU, Kamatari is a completely genuine GIRL. o.O; Read on and find out. :)

Chapter Nine

Her eyes widened and her body reflexively stiffened at the feel of his arms going around her waist. His breath tickled the back of her neck, continuing on down her spine, giving off an uneasy yet strangely pleasurable sensation. Her heart suddenly stopped at his next words.

"Please don't leave me. I need you. Come back to me, Misao."

As abruptly as it has stopped, her heart started to beat again, this time thrice as fast. Heaven knows how long she had yearned to feel Aoshi's arms around her. But this was not how it's supposed to happen. 

Tall, handsome, and darkly attractive, she had always believed that he was the epitome of the perfect man. Responsible. Viceless. Perfect. In her dreams, he would stare at her with those frost blue eyes of his and she would fall into his waiting arms. His lips would caress her forehead as he whispers words meant only for her ears. 

Of course, reality has a more brutal way of doing things. 

Now, the squeaky-clean, immaculate image Misao had built for Aoshi has been tainted by blood, of all things. Let's say he wasn't the one who killed her father. Maybe we could go so far and say he's the Oniwabanshuu hero. He's still a cold-blooded killer. Could she ever bring herself to ignore his bloodstained hands and still fall into his arms?

Misao bit her lower lip and closed her eyes, allowing her body to relax in his embrace. 

What was she thinking? She was the daughter of Aoshi's Okashira. She was the great-granddaughter of the founder of the assassin group. Wasn't she just as foul? 

She was lonely. Confused. She just wanted to be held, to be comforted. To be in her Aoshi-sama's arms. Wasn't that her dream only a few days ago? So now that it's come true, why is the horrible, empty feeling at the pit of her stomach still there?

Will it ever leave? 

Or rather, will Aoshi be enough to fill it?

Misao sighed, slowly leaning her head back to rest on Aoshi's chest. For now, all she could do is wait. She knew her questions would be answered sooner or later, whether she liked it or not. For now, what's wrong with savoring this rare moment in Aoshi's warm, secure hold?

Slowly, the tears she managed to keep inside her started to fall one by one.

***

He felt her slender body ease up in his arms. Her head fell lightly on his shoulder. Relief washed over him, smoothening the worried lines on his forehead. Then he noticed her breaths coming in short huffs.

Aoshi took his chin from the top of her head and loosened his grip on her. The worry lines were back.

"They just fell," Misao mumbled in between sniffs. She wiped a few teardrops but new ones would continue to travel down her cheeks. "Now they wouldn't stop."

He could feel his heart being squeezed inside his chest. He never wanted to cause her any pain. But it appears he couldn't do anything without hurting anyone. It was like he was born to hurt people. 

Cursed. That's what he is. Every single person that meant anything to him always ends up hurt. Actually, dead is a more accurate term. 

That was the reason he had distanced himself from others. From Misao. He never allowed anyone get too close to him, or vice versa. If he wouldn't get too emotionally attached nothing bad would happen. That was his belief. The fear of loosing another loved one, of going through all those hurt and anguish over and over again; it was that fear that drove him into hiding behind his frigid mask. Being a walking, breathing ice block is better than seeing another friend die, right? 

But he couldn't bear seeing her cry another tear because of him, either.

__

It all stops here. 

His eyes flashed with resolve. He stepped to face Misao. Her hand kept on wiping away her tears but still, fresh ones replace them. He reached out for her, his fingers curling around her soft, white hand. Misao blinked, questioningly peering at him with her glassy, innocent eyes. He looked back at her reassuringly before he started to walk, her hand still in his, gently pulling her along with him. 

After several steps, Aoshi stopped in front of a shaded park bench. He released his grip on Misao's hand and sat down with out a word, pointedly leaving room for her beside him. Misao eyed the space hesitantly before finally joining him on the seat. 

Her tears have ceased but now, her eyes took on a weak, blank look. She stared straight ahead in stupor. Her father wouldn't even hurt a fly. How could his kind, smiling face be a face of a cold-blooded killer? It just doesn't make any sense. No matter how hard she looked at it, the words otousan and assassin just couldn't fit in one sentence together. It just couldn't. It's just so wrong.

But that was the truth. She has got to learn to accept that fact. Besides, it would certainly explain a lot of things. Why he was always away on "business trips." Why she had to go to her room whenever the men in black suits and pretty cars come to visit her otousan. Her father's rather large collection of firearms. And of course, his boys.

He called them his students. They were nothing more but street punks and outcasts and vagrants. He taught them martial arts for free. He wanted to train them, to help give them some sort of a future, he told her. But she knew there was more to it than that. They were his eyes and ears. He probably used them to sneak around places and gather information while he tried to spend some time with his only daughter. There were only a handful of them, she remembered. One of them was Shinomori Aoshi.

A slight movement before her caught her attention. It was a paper crane.

She looked up to meet Aoshi's deep blue eyes.

"I can't undo what has been done," he told her quietly. 

"Nobody can," Misao spoke up, lightly shaking her head. She picked up the paper crane and held it on her palms. With a heavy sigh, she leaned against Aoshi, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. "Was Kenshin my father's last job? Your 'unfinished business'? Was that the reason you tried to shoot him that night?"

He was startled with her words, but not really surprised. She was bound to know about it sooner or later anyway. _Okina must have told her._

"Himura Battousai worked for someone the government wanted dead. When Okashira died, I was the one who continued the mission."

"'Tousan's a good man," Misao murmured sleepily. "I know he is."

"Okashira hated it but he did what he had to," Aoshi told her softly, the slightest hint of tenderness creeping in his voice. "His heart is pure even if his hands are not."

It was his turn to close his eyes as memories from his past flooded back in his mind.

He had been an orphan for as long as he could remember. And in the orphanage, you meet all sorts of people. All of them untouchable rejects, misfits, abandoned children that nobody wanted. He hated it. Hated the feeling of helplessness, of being powerless. Of being unloved. 

But most of all, he hated bullies. 

He wasn't big or intimidating, but he was fast and could throw concise punches. Maybe that was the reason Beshimi, Shiki-jou, Hyottoko and Hannya flocked around him. Save them once and they follow you around like puppies. But yes, they were his friends. He learned not to trust anybody at such a young age, but he trusted them. Trusted them with his very life when they escaped from the institution and lived in the streets. 

Life in the streets wasn't that much different from the orphanage. They had to fight for food. They had to fight for shelter. They had to fight for pretty much everything. Enter Makimachi Eiji. Aoshi was wary of him at first; why would anyone waste time on filthy ragamuffins like them? Then the man made them an offer: he would provide them with their basic necessities--food, clothing, shelter, even money--if they would work for him. The man looked open and kind, he had a fatherly feel around him. After some thought, Aoshi decided to give it a shot. It was the beginning of his life in the Oniwabanshuu.

Misao's head suddenly jerked forward, falling from his shoulder. His hand instinctively went around her neck and carefully guided her head back to his chest. He allowed his fingers to brush a few stray ebony locks from her face before securely placing it around her arm. 

He remembered seeing her for the first time. She was only seven then. He had to drop a package off at his Okashira's house. Misao had bounded up to him and stretched her hand sideways, warding him off with a smug smile.

"I'm the big fire-breathing dragon!" she had proudly introduced herself, baring her teeth and nails for further effect. "Are you here to see the Knight?"

Aoshi was staring blankly at the little girl when the 'Knight' showed up. 

"Ah! The brave Prince from a faraway land is here to rescue me from the big fire-breathing dragon!" Makimachi Eiji had winked, grinning sheepishly. 

"'Tousan! You're not supposed to come out yet!" Misao had reprimanded the Okashira, pushing him back. 

"Hai, hai!" He gestured for Aoshi to just play along.

Misao planted her hands on her waist. "You have to get past me first! You must bring me a peace offering! You can't see him unless you give me a present!" she demanded, sticking out her palm.

Aoshi thought for a minute. He went over and took a piece of paper from the table and started folding. After a few seconds, he went back and kneeled down to face her, holding a paper crane in his palm for his peace offering.

"Sugoi…" Misao gingerly took the present into her own palms. She looked straight in his deep blue eyes, a smile spreading across her face. All of a sudden, she threw her hands around his neck. "I like you!"

***

Soujirou's brows were furrowed as he walked down the street. It has been two days since Misao's accident, and she hasn't been the same since. Oh, sure, she'd smile and reassure everyone that she's fine, but he could see that she was not. Soujirou could see right through her and she knows it. But she never offered to explain anything, not even to him. It was as if she was purposefully drawing herself farther and farther away from them. From him. 

__

Why? What could have happened that night? 

Only three persons knew what happened. First was Misao, of course, whose only explanation for the accident was that she 'wasn't paying attention and didn't see the car coming.' Then there was Himura Kenshin who simply vanished into thin air. Kaoru had been fuming mad when she found out that Kenshin wasn't at the hospital that night, but her anger dissolved to worry and then disappointment when the red-haired cook didn't show up the next day, or the day after. And then there's Shinomori Aoshi.

__

Make that four. Okina knows something although he wasn't there that night. Misao asked for the truth. Truth about what? Was there something Okina had been hiding from her that she's discovered for herself?

Nirvana has been slow for the last couple of days, mainly because they lack a main cook and miss a very cheerful waitress. They closed early again that evening and Soujirou decided to come with Okina to check up on Misao. A very distressed Omasu met them at the gate, telling them that Misao was nowhere to be found. Okina calmed her down, saying that the girl probably needed fresh air and just took a walk. Soujirou offered to wait for her but the old man disagreed. 

"Go home and rest, Soujirou," he had told him. "Misao would come back when she's ready."

She needed him. And he's going to be there for her. No matter how much she pushes him away, he'd stay. She didn't have to tell him anything if she doesn't want to. He just wanted to be there for her. To comfort her. Now, all he had to do was find her.

He suddenly stopped short, his breath getting caught in his throat. It was already dark, but it was unmistakable. There, on the other side of the street, sitting on one of the park benches was Misao, the faint light of the lamppost playing lightly on her sleeping face. 

Face that was lying on top of Shinimori Aoshi's chest. 

It was like somebody held a voodoo doll version of him and was sticking pins into its chest. Lots of pins. Razor sharp pins.

He stood there, paralyzed as petrified wood, for who knows how long. The sudden vibration of his cellular phone brought him back to life. With his arms feeling like they weigh a thousand tons each, he took the phone out of his pocket and glanced dumbly at the screen. 

It was Kamatari. He didn't feel like talking and longed to shut off the phone but his courtesy kicked in. 

"Hai, Soujirou desu," he mumbled, closing his eyes and forcing a smile to his lips.

"SOU-KUN! I miss you already!"

"Aa, Kamatari-san. But we just saw each other earlier."

"Yeah, but that was ages ago! So, what are you doing?"

"I'm on way home."

"Oh. How's Misao?"

"I don't know. She wasn't home." Soujirou lifted his lids and looked back at the two. Aoshi's arms were now around Misao. He drew in a sharp breath. "Anou, Kamatari-san, I have to go."

"Oh, wait. Um, I have something to…uh…do you remember the event I was telling you about? You know, the fashion show? The one that got postponed?"

"Hai."

"Well, it was rescheduled this Wednesday. I asked you before if you'd like to come with me and you said you'd think about it. And don't worry about Nirvana, I've arranged for Genzai, our butler, to take over your shift. He's really, really good with mixing drinks. I mean, that is, if you'd decide to come." Soujirou heard her take a nervous breath. He could almost see her twirling the cords of her phone around her fingers. "Well?"

His head was starting to throb. Maybe he ought to take a break. It's just for one night anyway, right? 

"Sure, Kamatari-san. I'll come with you."

***********************************************************************************************************************TBC

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Author's Notes: *ducks from rocks and knives being thrown at her* HONTONI GOMEN NASAI, MINNA-SAN!!! I know, I know. I promised to update last week, but I didn't have anything to upload yet save for a couple of pages, one of which, I'd completely deleted. My schedule has no plans of fixing itself; instead I think its immediate plan is to kill me piece by piece! I'm gonna have to apologize AGAIN in advance…yes, I won't be able to update again next week because I'll be home only for two days, both of which I have an appointment to attend. But I might be able to have a long weekend next, next. I might be home as early as Wednesday afternoon, but I'm not a hundred percent certain, I've got my fingers crossed. So anyways, on to the fic. Another reason why it took me three weeks to finish this chap is author's block. I was starting to think it was too angsty and was starting to question the plot. I'll try to make things lighter in the next few chaps, hopefully inserting a bit of humor here in there. How I'm gonna do that, I have no idea, since I also have no idea how I'm gonna start the next chap. ^^;; But hey, I'll work on it and I'll keep working till it finally works! Er, yeah. T_T;; Reviews please!!!

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Shadow Wolf of Dark Silence: Thanks! ^_^ Glad you liked it!

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kaOru-no-taNuki: Thanks. Actually, the party did not turn out the way I hoped it would. One of my friends got sick, I lost my cellphone then I got sick the following week. But hey, it was fun! ^_^ And I *did* write the moment I got home…it's just that my eyelids were really closing no matter how hard I try to force them open. ^^; Aoshi and Misao were not really hugging when Sou saw them here, but it still got the desired effect, ne? I'm glad you enjoyed this and that's the first A/M vote for this chap!

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Amie: There'll be more A/M parts coming, but I'm not sure how this turns out in the end either--it all depends on your votes. ^_^ S/M vote in!

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Brittany67: And yep, that's another S/M in! ^_^

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Ru: Thank you! ^_^ Your S/M vote's in.

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Innocence8: Really, Kenshin was OOC in the last chap? Hm…I didn't notice that… Thanks for telling me anyways. ^_^ About Kamatari's reaction, I guess she just couldn't believe Misao could actually get hit by her very own brother. I mean, she dislikes Misao because of her closeness to Sou but she doesn't want her dead. Anyways, your S/M vote's in!

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^_^: Still S/M for you! I'm glad you liked them!

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Seis: Glad you enjoyed it! And yes, another S/M!

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Was Bored: Thank you so much! ^_^ Another S/M vote for you!

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Squirrel: I agree with you! ^^ S/M for you, check!

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Ayuka: Thanks! ^_^ I'll take that as a S/M vote. About Misao being with Aoshi…er, I hope I didn't disappoint you… ^^;

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chiharu_tanaka: Thank you! S/M vote for you! Hope you're still reading! ^^

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mystasia: Two A/M votes for you! *gratefully accepts the crown* The Queen of Cliffhangers? I hate reading them but love giving them! Ehehe. I'm evil, I know. ^^ Thanks very much!

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Jade: A definite S/M vote for you! Hope the A/M parts don't bother you. 

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Dragona 2007: Am updating! ^_^ Another S/M vote in!

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Missy Misao: S/M vote for you! And nope, I'm not laughing, there was a point in time where I didn't know what it meant too. OOC means Out Of Character. Hope you liked this chap! ^_^

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Zalphinian: Arigatou gozaimasu! That's another S/M vote in. Glad you're enjoying it! :D

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A fan: You're definitely right! About the final pairing…I've got the tally of votes at the end of each chapter…but then again, you never know… ^_^ And about Kenshin…keep on reading and find out!! :)

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Cloud9: ff.n's added numbers to the pen names so that no two members share the same name. That's why you had 11 appended to your original name. (You probably know that by now ^^) Yes, yes, I know. Misao's really fickle in this fic, but hey, her, er, love for Aoshi couldn't just vanish like that, right? There's still that bit of…feeling. You're probably right, the ending would be a failure if the pairing is the wrong one. Hopefully, I won't be making that mistake since I'm basing the ending with your votes. Nope, I'll try my best not to leave this fic hanging in the air, not with all your support! As long as you guys are there to review, I'll keep on writing the next chap! S/M vote in!

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Allise: Two more S/M votes in! About Aoshi…let's just wait and see, ne? ^_^ Hope Kamatari stays that way to you…she's not really *that* bad, is she? Thanks for the review!

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samatsua: And here's the ninth chap! Hope you like this one too! A/M vote for you!

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liemtenshi: Thanks! A/M vote, check!

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passerby: Hope you do drop by again! Another S/M vote in. Thanks!

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Fangirl133: Thank you! You're A/M vote's in!

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Cho: A/M vote, right! Thanks a lot! Am continuing! ^_^

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Chaos: Thank you so much! Here's the ninth chap, finally! Now that you cleared that that was your review for chaps 1 to 5, I think I'll count that in as…four…plus your votes for chaps 7 and 8…that's six S/M votes in! I won't have time to read your fics right now, maybe next, next week…okay? Thanks again! ^_^

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Tally of Votes: A/M = 29; **S/M** = 76

Whew! I have to go now, I'm running late for another appointment. But please, please leave a review! Thanks!!!! ^__^


	10. Chapter Ten

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For Her Smile

By: sophomoric genius

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Disclaimer: I do not own RK, Gojyo, Esra, Belldandy, Tsukiyono Omi, Sekiria, Nitta Chiharu, Kanzaki Kyoichi, Kanzaki Sumire, Shinguji Sakura, Ikusawa Ruriko and Ukiya Shun. All of them are copyright their respective creators. Any similarities with other fics are purely coincidental unless stated otherwise.

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Author's Note: In this AU, Kamatari is a completely genuine GIRL. o.O; Read on and find out. :)

Chapter Ten

"Well, that sure is unusual…" a male voice whispered. He shifted his legs and craned his neck trying to improve his view from the slightly opened office door.

"She came in very early this morning and has finished almost all her written reports. That's not just unusual, it's scary," another voice informed him conspiratorially. The woman sighed and continued, "And I'm starting to worry. Gojyo-san, what if--"

"I'll be gone for a couple of hours." 

At the sound of the cool, fluid voice, two guilty heads--one blood red, the other chocolate brown, turned slowly to face their Okashira. 

"Aa, hai!" Esra scuttled to her desk and fumbled for paper and a pen. Her face was bright pink; quandary and guilt discernible even through her closed eyes. "What time will you be back, sir? Any messages for special callers?"

"No. I'll be back around one." Aoshi was almost at the door when an arm was wrung recklessly around his neck and rested on his shoulders. 

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to our cute little weasel-girl?" Gojyo was grinning slyly, wiggling his eyebrows up and down. His arm instantly flew from Aoshi's shoulder to the back of his own neck when he suddenly felt a cold piece of metal jab his side. "Just kiddin', just kiddin'!" 

Aoshi returned the small revolver back to its holster, gave Gojyo one last icy glare and stepped out of their headquarters without a word. 

The vice-Okashira's grin now came back, growing wider and goofier. He faced Esra, nodding his head slowly. "It's confirmed, Esra. The little weasel-girl's inspired…looks like she and the Okashira-sama--yeaow!"

Three sharp-edged darts sailed through the air, landing piercingly on the office corkboard just behind the redhead, missing his smug face by inches. 

"Can't anybody work in peace around here?!" Misao's voice rang out angrily. She stood up and stomped to close her door, sparks shooting out of her flashing aquamarine eyes.

"My, my, aren't we all touchy today, ne, Esra?" Gojyo closed his eyes and chuckled. When he opened his ruby orbs again, another three shiny, pointed metal objects were hurling fast towards him, aimed directly at his head. He quickly ducked, glanced back at the dart-filled bulletin board and gulped. "Everybody's trying to kill me today," he gave a nervous laugh.

"Everybody's trying to kill you everyday," Misao muttered, slamming her door shut. "It really is a wonder you're still alive." She went back to her desk and stared moodily at the screen. 

Finding Myoujin Yahiko's biological parents were a lot harder than she thought. The boy was found by his adoptive parents abandoned by the mountainside in a rural village. Thinking he was some sort of an unwanted child, they took him in and brought him up. But as it turned out, Yahiko was one of the four survivors of a bus tipping over the steep mountain road. After an interview with the other three, it was settled that there _had_ been a man on the bus with a ten-month old kid. With the help of the resident Oniwabanshuu technical whiz, Tsukiyono Omi, she was able to match and identify the mystery man. Apparently, the man who was with Yahiko on the bus that day was not his father, but a kidnapper. This led Misao to another wild goose chase, finally ending up with the man who never filed a report about his missing ten-month-old son.

"Uonuma Usui…" she pronounced the name softly when the computer finally finished downloading the photo.

The man staring back at her held the blackest eyes she had ever seen. His equally dark hair, smoothly and sleekly tied at the back of his neck, was in perfect accord to his refined, expensive-looking dark tuxedo suit. His small smile sent chills up and down her spine. He doesn't really look like a psychotic killer, but the eerily evil glint in those calumnious, abysmal charcoal eyes suggested otherwise. 

Misao blinked. She brought her face closer to the monitor, examining the face more intently. "I've seen him before…I'm sure of it…" she murmured to herself, moving her eyes to the kanjis on one side. "He's one of Japan's richest men…that must be it…"

Leaning back on her seat, she pressed the 'print screen' key and waited. 

***

"I've got good news and bad news--" Misao started, putting on that superior, important air she puts whenever she finishes an assignment. Her sophisticated façade was broken though, when her young client unceremoniously interrupted her introductory speech. 

"Oh, will you cut the crap! Just tell me already!" Myoujin Yahiko folded his arms on his chest, eyeing the mysteriously serious Misao warily. 

Her left eyebrow did a rather violent twitch. She hates being interrupted, especially when she's worked so hard in setting the solemn mood, and more especially when it's a disrespectful, roguish ten-year-old that's doing the interrupting. But for some weird reason that totally escaped her, she gritted her teeth and forced a smile instead of strangling the life out of the kid, which was her first impulse.

"Fine," she muttered, handing the brown envelope over to him. "The good news is, I found your father. Bad news is, he's dead." 

She watched the boy's reaction carefully as he took out the picture of his supposed father. Yahiko's eyes widened and his face paled. He drew in a sharp breath. 

"His name is Uonuma Usui and yes, he is the very same man who used to own almost half of the biggest companies in Japan. Apparently, you were kidnapped and although no one bothered to file a police report, there are evidences testifying that the baby you see in that newspaper clipping is, in fact, the very same baby Yuukyuuzan Anji--he's our kidnapper--was holding when he boarded that nine-fifteen bus headed for Hokkaido. Your mother, Uonuma Rika, died giving birth to you--"

"He's not dead." 

Misao stopped short, a very annoyed eyebrow shooting up. "Excuse me?"

"He's not dead," Yahiko repeated, forcing his eyes with great difficulty to leave the enlarged photo and meet Misao's haughty green-blue orbs. "I saw him."

"What do you mean 'you saw him'?" asked him wearily. "The guy's been dead for eight years."

"He's not dead," the boy insisted angrily. "And I want you to find him." He stood up and started stuffing all the papers back to the envelope. His hands were shaking. His face was so pale that it appears like the circulation of blood to his head was abruptly cut off. 

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," Misao exclaimed, incredulity showing plainly in her face. "Okay, look. How are you sure that the person you saw wasn't just someone who looked a lot like--"

"It's him." Yahiko looked at her straight in the eye. The boy was dead serious. "I know it. Find him. I'll double or even triple my payment. Just find him." He held her gaze for a couple of beats before turning around and started walking out. "Besides, I'm gonna need real proof of my ancestry if I were to claim his heir. I can't have DNA testing with someone's who's dead, right? If you can't find him, then I've got nothing to pay you with." And with that he disappeared.

"You could at least tell me when and where you 'saw him'!" Misao called out, rolling her eyes. Then she straightened as his final words finally sunk in. "Hey, what do you mean 'you've got nothing to pay me with'?! You mean you're not yet fully paid?! Oi!" she jumped out of her seat and rushed after the boy finding him nowhere in sight. 

Misao walked back to her desk and leaned back on her chair. She took out the duplicate copy of the photograph for her file. _Was the boy telling the truth? Are you really alive? If that's the case, where the hell are you? How could you have managed to pull off such a long charade? And more importantly…_

…why do you look so darn familiar?

***

"Will you stop following me?!" Misao's aggravated voice filled the entire restaurant as the glass door suddenly opened, sending the chimes clinking just as furiously. She stormed in, her brows knitted together, smoke practically coming out of her ears. Every pair of eyes and ears was centered on her but she either did not even notice or simply did not care. 

The glass door was once again pushed rather forcefully, filling the instantly hushed place with another round of angry clinking chimes. "I told you, it's not like I had any other…" Sanosuke's retort slowly died on his lips, which was automatically pulled up into an empty, embarrassed grin. Yes, there _are_ very rare times when he did not like being the center of attention. 

"…choice!" he finished his sentence with a hiss. He glared at the fuming girl who drove him into the brink of insanity only a week ago when she stepped right into his headlight from who-knows-where. It seemed to him she would not rest until she sees him dressed in a gray straightjacket, strapped in a stretcher at the back of a whining ambulance which held the characters 'Center of the Mentally Ill' on its side. At least Takani Megumi was not yet there. He could only imagine her look of smug satisfaction once she finds out he, Sagara Sanosuke was to be a servant to a girl he barely knew.

"When he ran over Misao, both my step dad and mom were seething. They were supposed to take away Sano's car when I told them it wasn't really his fault. I suggested they allow him to retain the car if he'd devote the rest of his free time to help out with any of Misao's needs," Kamatari answered their silent questions. She flashed Misao a derisive grin. "He's all in your hands, Misao. Make him suffer!"

Both Sano and Misao shot the short-haired girl a dirty, menacing look. 

"Good, Misao, you're here," Okina called from the kitchen counter. "Stop standing around there like some sort of imbecile, get in here and help out!"

"Can't," the girl replied, tearing her eyes from Kamatari. "I just dropped by to tell you I won't be able to work tonight and maybe for the rest of the week. Something absurd came up and I've got to sort it out. I might be home late too, okay?"

"What is it?" Okina's head suddenly shot up from the large kitchen hole connecting the kitchen to the counter. His gray eyes were instantly alert, surveying his granddaughter closely. 

Misao just waved a hand recklessly and started for the door. "Nothing. My client claims to have seen a dead man in live and full color and demands that I find him right away. How ridiculous is that? Well, anyway, I have to go. Oh, Belldandy called me earlier, she might be able to come back tomorrow. She said she was very sorry for all the trouble she's caused. Have to go, bye."

"Aren't you coming with her?" Kamatari tapped her stepbrother's shoulder lightly. "Once mom and…"

"But she doesn't _want_ my help!" Sano cried out in frustration. "It's not like I didn't try!"

"They wouldn't care, it's still your responsibility…" 

"Alright, alright already!" Sano gave his stepsister one last menacing growl before following Misao out of the restaurant. 

Kamatari grinned triumphantly. She congratulated herself once again for being such a genius. Setting a very defiant Sano to be her servant for an uncertain period of time will be enough to drive Misao wild, she knew. Her stepbrother had this trait of being a real pain in the ass if forced to do something he does not like. He should be enough to occupy Misao's mind and time enough to leave her and Soujirou unnoticed for the rest of day, thereby making their date Misao-proof. Of course, her plan wouldn't have worked as well if Misao weren't so preoccupied with her job. Now, she wouldn't have anything to worry about. Not that she was worried that Soujirou would back out once Misao finds out; her Sou-kun wasn't the type of person who would leave her hanging in the air. But still, she couldn't help feeling much better now that Misao's out of the way.

She turned and smiled at Soujirou. "So, are you ready for tonight, Sou-kun?"

The boy closed his lids and returned the smile. "Hai. It's semi-formal, right?"

"Right. My aunt's been aching to have her own line of clothing and she's really thrilled. It's still a little small so the fashion show would only be around twenty minutes and the rest would be a concert--I heard Sekiria might play, isn't that great?" She gave an excited gesture with her shoulders before sauntering off to one of her tables.

Soujirou sighed. Misao did not even so much as glance at him earlier. They were drifting apart and he could not do a single thing to stop it.

The vision of Aoshi with his arms around Misao came back to him as vividly as if it was happening then and there. His hands were balled so tightly in a fist that his nails were digging right through his palm. But his lips were curled up in his usual smile, not a shred of his inner turmoil perceivable in his cheerful face. 

__

Sou desu ne… She's got Shinomori-san now…she probably doesn't need me anymore…

His stomach did a turn at the thought but he ignored it.

***

"You look great, Kamatari-san," Soujirou remarked, smiling broadly as his date stepped out of the sleek black limousine. 

She was wearing a turquoise blue spaghetti-strap dress that brought out the hidden light green flecks of her deep blue eyes. Her sexy, strappy high heels and silver necklace gave off elegant look, yet her silver hoop earrings and lightly tousled hair had an air of reckless abandon. It was a simple ensemble, but with Kamatari's lean frame and lively attitude it seemed to garner a different, more stunning effect. 

"Thanks!" she beamed. "You look awesome too. Let's go in, I'll introduce you to everybody."

The two weaved their way to one of the canopy tents set up on the wide soccer field. Further on was a small stage where several bands were fixing their equipments. A red carpet trailed from the stage down to the grassy field, winding around before entering one of the canopies. A long buffet table was arranged at one end while a large black cloth was sprawled over on the other side, a makeshift dancefloor. 

"Hey, Kamatari-san!"

"Sumire-san! Hi!" Kamatari led Soujirou towards a group of people huddled near the entrance of one of the tents. 

"Nice dress," the tall girl with shoulder length auburn hair commented as they drew closer. "Is that one of Honjo Sayoko's designs?"

"Yeah. She gave this to me about a month ago," Kamatari told them with a grin. "Oh, by the way, meet Seta Soujirou. That's Nitta Chiharu, Kanzaki Kyoichi, his sister, Kanzaki Sumire, Shinguji Sakura, Ikusawa Ruriko and Ukiya Shun." 

"Hajimemashite, minna-san," Soujirou greeted politely with a curt bow. 

"Seta?" Chiharu, the girl with long brown hair peered at him curiously. "Any relation to the late Seta Yoshikazu?"

The boy blinked with a start. He was obviously surprised at the question, but he was quick to disguise it with another one of his trademark smiles. "Hai," he repied. "He's a…relative."

Kamatari noticed his sudden discomfort although no physical trace of it could be found in his outside appearance. "Oh, there's my aunt," she said before anyone else could open their mouths to ask more questions. "See you guys later, okay?"

"Arigatou," Soujirou murmured with a grateful smile. 

The girl just shrugged her shoulders. "Why? You don't have to answer any of their questions. You're here to have fun, and that's exactly what we're gonna do." She flashed him a spirited grin and nodded decisively. "C'mon," she tugged on his sleeve. "Let's find us some seats before all the good ones get taken."

***

"What exactly are we doing?" Sano asked incredulously. He was tapping his index finger lightly on the floor as he gazed moodily at the setting sun.

"I told you, looking for a supposedly dead man." Misao answered, just as exasperated. "You don't have to join me here, you know. You are very free to leave if you want to. This is supposed to be a _private_ investigation, you know."

Sano just snorted. "Yeah right. And leave you here in the middle of this dock where there are no taxis, no bus, no transportation whatsoever. That'll lift my punishment. Sure."

She lowered the binoculars she had been holding and glared at her companion. "Listen, you--"

"Hey, someone's coming," the boy interrupted, nodding outside. Misao placed the binoculars back on her eyes, adjusting the focus. 

An old black Honda drove into view, stopping right in front of a dilapidated boat. She watched as the door opened, and a man stepped out. He was a tall man, wearing a black suit and dark tinted glasses. Misao adjusted her lenses again, trying to make out the man's face. 

She gasped. It was Uonuma Usui. There was no doubt about it.

"Holy shit! He's looking right at us!" Sano ducked from the window automatically pulling Misao's arm along with him. He leaned against the wall, glancing nervously back up the window. "Who the hell is he, anyway? Is he dangerous? Did he see us?"

"He couldn't have seen us," Misao whispered, her eyes wide and her hands shaking. "I saw him when he took off his glasses. He didn't have eyes. But he knew exactly where we are."

"Good, he's blind. He didn't see us then," a long, relieved sigh escaped his lips.

The girl grabbed his arms and shook him hard. "Weren't you listening to what I just said? He knew _exactly_ where we are. He knows."

Sano stared at her perplexedly. 

"Let's get out of here."

***************************************************************************************************************************************TBC

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Author's Notes: AN EXTREMELY HUGE APOLOGY TO EVERYONE! I'm so sorry for posting this late. I've been very busy (as I'm sure you've guessed) plus my trusty old pc had this virus that prevented me from using internet explorer so even if I did finished my fic in time (which I didn't) I still couldn't post it up at ff.n. *sigh* There's a lot on my mind right now and I couldn't seem to concentrate: whenever I open my pc to write, my mind just blacks out and I couldn't write a single damn thing. But I managed to scrape a few odds and ends together and come up with this chap. I'm a bit disappointed with this fic because it didn't come up the way I originally intended it to (partly because of the hectic schedule I've been having) but, hey, I'll try to improve it the best way I can, okay? So there. My apologies done, let's get on to business. I'm thinking of ending this sooner than I planned (due to time problems, yadda yadda…) but that still depends on my mood (and time). *pulls her hair in frustration* Oh, enough of this! I know I'm starting to annoy you with my rants about my schedule so how about this. Since I obviously couldn't follow my usual posting routine, how about leaving me an email so that whenever I have the next chap ready, I could just send you an email, that way, I won't have to explain myself over and over why I posted late. Okay? That's that then. If you have an email ad either in your profile (if you leave a signed review) or in your review, then expect an email from me once the next chap is done and up. I promise, you won't hear another one of my ramblings about my schedule. ^_^; So there. Thanks for reading this far, I really appreciate it!!! Hope you leave me a review, ne?

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whisper*2*imaginary: Thank you! Am updating! And that's an A/M vote for you!

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CCS_lover: Yes, yes, they *are* so cute together! S/M for you.

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Cho: And that's an S/M vote in!

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Cute Li'l Chibi Rei Ayanami: Am still writing! Hope you're still reading! Your vote? A/M or S/M? :)

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Dylynn: Thanks! There will be some K/K, don't worry. I have special plans for them so just wait and see, ne? =) S/M vote counted!

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Samara-chan1: Arigatou gozaimasu! Your S/M vote's in!

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Mary: A/M vote for you, check! ^_^

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Kay-san1: Thankies! ^_^ Am writing more! Your vote? You didn't say. :)

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rei rei: Sure you can! That's a S/M vote for you! Thank you so much! Hope you're still reading! :)

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Jade: Glad you liked it! ^_^ Still S/M for you, right!

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CurlsofSerenity: Thanks! =D I guess that'll be a S/M vote? Hai. ^_^

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Seis: Arigatou! Yeah, I know, that was mean. But, hey, that's what makes life interesting, ne? ^_~ And yep, an all-caps S/M for you!

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^_^: Thanks very much! I hope A/M won't bother you that much; when it does, you could always count on a very certain S/M waff soon! *cough* spoiler! *cough* How soon, I have no idea. XD 

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Amie: Am updating again! And that's S/M still for you, hai!

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Ru: And here's the next part! Glad to know you're not against Kamatari 'easing Sou's muddled feelings'! Still S/M, check! Hope you like this chap!

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liemtenshi: Hm…I guess that'll depend on my mood…^_^ nah. I'm afraid I made a promise in the first chap that whichever pair that gets the highest votes wins…but you *could* persuade others to vote for A/M if you want. I could help with that persuasion too…maybe I could insert a few A/M waff the next chap…we'll see… :) But for now, that's one A/M vote for you!

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Ayuka: Thanks! Hope you like this installment as well! S/M vote for you!

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:.asc.:: Thank you! And here's the next chap! Hope you like this too!

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Tally of Votes: A/M = 32; **S/M** = 90

Comments? Suggestions? Email ads? Review please! ^_^


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